Flower profile

Lilac chaste tree

Vitex agnus-castus

Lilac chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus) is a shrub or small tree in the Lamiaceae family, introduced in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–September across the U.S.

Not native to Texas

Lilac chaste tree is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. In Texas it's most often seen in bloom in May–September.

20states where USDA records it

7,067TX sightings*

8,624U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Texas

Quick look

Vitex agnus-castus is a plant native of the Mediterranean region. It is one of the few temperate-zone species of Vitex, which is on the whole a genus of tropical and subtropical flowering plants. Vitex is a cross-pollinating plant, but its self-pollination has been recorded.
From Wikipedia's article Vitex agnus-castus, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Lamiaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 20 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as not native to Texas. ^NatureServe
In Texas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–September. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 7,067 research-grade sightings of it in Texas, ranking #92 among the 169 flowers on our Texas list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

In Texas, most flowering sightings come in May–September.

Flowering records by month in Texas (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (209 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. ^NatureServe
Texas: Not listed Not on Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Texas. ^{31 TAC 69.8}
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records lilac chaste tree in 20 states plus Washington, D.C.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia; District of Columbia.

Texas counties with USDA records: Bastrop, Brazos, Brown, Burnet, Erath, Llano, McLennan, Reeves, Robertson, Travis.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Lower 48 states: Introduced; Puerto Rico: Introduced; U.S. Virgin Islands: Introduced.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 72 counties across 19 states; the most are in Louisiana (20), Texas (10), Florida (5).

Other Vitex on Bloomipedia (1): Beach vitex.

More from the Lamiaceae family (44 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Common selfheal, Ground-ivy, Red deadnettle, American beautyberry, Henbit deadnettle, Wild bergamot, Lyreleaf sage, American germander.

More Texas flowers

Lemon beebalm

Monarda citriodora

Native

🌼 Blooms in TX: April–June

American beautyberry

Callicarpa americana

Native

🌼 Blooms in TX: May–July

Henbit deadnettle

Lamium amplexicaule

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in TX: January–March

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile VIAG.
iNaturalist, Vitex agnus-castus: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Vitex agnus-castus (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Texas: Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
Texas: Texas noxious and invasive plant list (4 Tex. Admin. Code § 19.300(a)).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Vitex agnus-castus (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Michelle W. （鍾偉瑋） via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.