Vitex lucens
Common name:
Puriri
New Zealand Chaste Tree
Pronunciation:
VI-teks loo-senz
Family:
Lamiaceae, Verbenaceae
Genus:
Type:
Broadleaf
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon:
No
- Broadleaf evergreen tree, to 30-60 ft (~10-20 m) tall, spreading, rounded crown. Leaves opposite, palmately compound, 3 or 5 leaf lefts, with 5 leaflets the 2 basal leaflets are much smaller than the remaining 3, each leaflet is obovate to oblong-elliptic, to about 12 cm long, 5 cm wide, tip pointed (acute or acuminate), margin wavy but entire, shiny dark green. Flowers pink or red (occasionally white), tubular, to about 3.5 cm long, composed of 2 petals, which together form 4 lobes, and 4 long stamen, the flowers are in axillary clusters (panicles). Fruit bright red, rounded, 2 cm wide, matures in the spring. The flowers produce nectar and are extremely popular with birds, as are the fruits. Humans, however, generally consider the fruit has poor flavor.
- Sun
- Hardy to USDA Zone 9 (semi-tropical) Native to New Zealand (North Island)
- Puriri: the Maori name of this tree, sometimes 'kauere'.
- lucens: bright, shining
Click image to enlarge
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plant habit
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leaves
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leaf
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leaf, underside
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trunk, bark
