Chaste tree (monk's pepper)
Vitex agnus-castus
Botanical family: Lamiaceae
A Mediterranean shrub with spikes of very nectar-bearing blue-mauve flowers in high summer. Its peppery berries, 'monk's pepper', have a long use in herbal tradition.
Full sun
Well-drained, dry, tolerates chalk
Moderate: grows along Mediterranean streams, but tolerates drought once established
Hardy (Mediterranean, approx. -12 to -15 °C)
Overwinters in your zone
Role in permaculture
A very nectar-bearing ornamental Mediterranean shrub (a long blue summer flowering), a medicinal of the female hormonal sphere.
Companions
No companion planting is documented for this plant: no recommended neighbour, no neighbour to avoid.
Insects attracted or useful
Seasons & availability
Flowers in summer; its small peppery fruits, known as monk's pepper, are gathered ripe in autumn.
Available: September, October, November.
Guidance for the oceanic / temperate climate; it may vary with your region, altitude, exposure and growing method.
Sources
- La Ferme de Sainte Marthe, « Poivre de moine ou gattilier AB » (fermedesaintemarthe.com/products/poivre-de-moine-ou-gattilier-ab)
- North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, « Vitex agnus-castus » (plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/vitex-agnus-castus)
- Tela Botanica, « Vitex agnus-castus L. » (tela-botanica.org/bdtfx-nn-72745-description)
- Plants For A Future, « Vitex agnus-castus » (pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Vitex+agnus-castus)
Nutritional & medicinal properties
For educational purposes. Not a substitute for medical advice. Effects depend on the form, the dose and personal context.
Precautions & contraindications
Hormonal action: not advised during pregnancy, with hormonal contraception or treatment, and in case of a history of hormone-dependent cancer. It also acts on D2 dopaminergic receptors (an anti-prolactin effect): caution in case of antipsychotic treatment, metoclopramide, or dopamine agonists (Parkinson's disease). Medical advice recommended.
Family behaviour: Lamiaceae
In general, Lamiaceae are aromatics (basil, mint, thyme, rosemary, sage, lavender, lemon balm, savory). Their essential oils are reputed to bother some insects, but in a trial cited by Parker et al. (2013), sage, thyme and mint planted near cabbages did not reduce their pests. Their flowers are much visited by pollinators.
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Species & varieties
The best-known species and varieties in France.
Common varieties
Voices of peoples
Paraphrases attributed to their documented sources. Never an invented quote.
Pliny the Elder and Dioscorides · Greece and Rome, 1st century
The Greeks called the chaste tree agnos. Pliny the Elder reports that, during the Thesmophoria, the feast of Demeter, the Athenian matrons strewed their bed with its leaves to preserve their chastity. From this rite, cited by named authors, comes by association the name agnus-castus ('chaste'), then, much later, that of 'monk's pepper' (Mönchspfeffer): in the cloisters, its berries served as a peppery condiment supposed to temper desire. This anaphrodisiac virtue belongs to reputation and tradition, not to an established pharmacological effect.
Pline l'Ancien, Histoire naturelle, livre XXIV (agnus/vitex, matrones aux Thesmophories) ; Dioscoride, De materia medica, livre I (chapitre sur l'agnos), Ier siècle.
An attested fact: the Greek rite is reported by named authors (Pliny the Elder, Dioscorides). This rite and the reputation of chastity are clearly distinct from any medical effect, which is not established here. No health claim: the anaphrodisiac virtue is presented as belief and custom, not as a guaranteed effect.
Key takeaways
- • Prefers full sun exposure.
- • Ideal soil: well-drained, dry, tolerates chalk.