Lilac Chastetree is a deciduous shrub that earns its name from the soft lavender to pale violet flowers that emerge in loose, fragrant panicles during midsummer. Growing 8 to 10 feet tall and 5 to 8 feet wide in warm climates, this Mediterranean native adapts well to zones 6 through 9, though northern gardeners will see it behave more like an herbaceous perennial, dying back in winter but returning vigorously from the roots each spring. Its aromatic, feathery foliage and long blooming period make it a sophisticated addition to sunny gardens where it thrives on moderate water and minimal fuss.
Full Sun
Moderate
6-9
120in H x 96in W
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High
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The flowers arrive late in the season when many other shrubs have faded, offering fragrant lavender spikes that perfume the entire garden. Even in zones 5 and 6, where winter cold may cut the plant to the ground, the roots survive and push up 4 to 7 feet of fresh growth the following year, reliably flowering from that new wood. Its grayish-green, palmate leaves with five to seven delicate leaflets create a fine-textured canopy that feels almost ethereal before the blooms arrive.
Lilac Chastetree is grown as an ornamental shrub, valued primarily for its showy, fragrant flowers that appear in midsummer when few other woody plants are in bloom. In warm climates, it can be trained as a single-trunk small tree reaching 20 feet tall, while in colder regions it functions as a flowering perennial that regenerates annually from the root system.
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Prune Lilac Chastetree in late winter or early spring to shape the plant and remove any dead wood from the previous season. Because flowers appear on new growth, pruning actually encourages more abundant blooms. In zones 5 and 6, where winter dieback is common, simply remove the dead canes in spring and allow the vigorous new growth to emerge naturally.
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