beach vitex Verbenaceae Vitex rotundifolia L. f. symbol: VIRO80 Leaf: Opposite, usually simple but may be trifoliate, 1 to 2 1/2 inches long, obovate to round, entire margins; gray-green and pubescent above, pale pubescent below; spicy-aromatic when crushed. Flower: Lilac, in loose slender spiked panicles at the branch tips, panicles 1 to 3 inches; flowering late spring to early summer but may be present any time during the growing season. Fruit: Round drupes, green when young, becoming turning red to blue-black at maturity, 1/4 inch in diameter, maturing in the fall. Twig: Slender, initially green becoming gray-brown, quadrangular, buds are wedge-shaped to rounded and gray-brown. Bark: Initially smooth and gray-brown, becoming irregularly ridged and furrowed. Form: A shrub or vine to 3 feet tall that suckers profusely to form dense mats. Looks like: lilac chastetree - chastetree Additional Range Information: Vitex rotundifolia is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and may seed into the landscape. See states reporting beach vitex. External Links: USDA Plants Database © Copyright 2016, Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, all rights reserved. Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson