Mazhar Botanic Garden

Vitex agnus-castus L.

Lilac chaste tree

Sample code: EGY-MBG-000238
Common name: Lilac chaste tree
English name: Chaste Tree, Chaste berry,
Arabic name: كف مريم
Native: Mediterranean region and Asia
Country: Mediterranean region
(PGR): Common

Deciduous shrub or small tree up to 2-4 m high leaves palmately 5-7 foliolate, leaflets lanceolate flowers lilac or deep violet fruit drupe globose 2-25 mm on diameter

Soil: light sandy and medium loamy, prefer s well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil

The fruit is used as a condiment, it is a pepper substitute. The aromatic leaves are also used as a spice. This plant forms one of the ingredients of the legendary Moroccan spice mixture 'ras el hanout’.

Agnus-castus robusta (Lebas) Carriere

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Texture: Sandy loam
Fertility: High
Drainage: Well drained
Topography: Coastal area
Water Sources: Moderate Water
Climates: Dry
Lights: Full sun
Propagation: Seeds, cuttings
Flowering time: Summer to autumn
Zone: 6 : 9
pH range: 6-7.5
Status: Cultivated
Life span: Perennial
Habits: Shrub
Sample Type: Introduced - cultivated
Collecting Sources: Botanical garden
Plant Uses: Medicinal Ornamental
Plant Populations density: Cultivated
Vegetation types: Deciduous
pH: Acid Alkaline Neutral

The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and Mazhar Botanic Garden does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes.