Five-leaved chaste tree
Vitex negundo
Its dried leaves are traditionally burned as a natural mosquito repellent and placed in grain bins to ward off destructive weevils.
- Scientific name
- Vitex negundo
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Lamiales › Lamiaceae › Vitex
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Open dry forests, forest margins, grasslands, waste lands, and riverbanks.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (Photosynthesis)
- Range
- Southern Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, East Africa
- Size
- Shrub or small tree growing 2 to 8 meters (6.5 to 26 feet) in height.
- Lifespan
- 15-30 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat destruction due to agricultural expansion and urbanization, and localized over-harvesting for medicinal use.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to touch for most, though its highly aromatic leaves can cause mild skin irritation in sensitive individuals. Safe to observe at any distance. If skin irritation occurs, wash the affected area with soap and water. Do not ingest wild specimens, as they contain potent bioactive compounds.
Vitex negundo , commonly known as the Chinese chastetree , five-leaved chaste tree , or horseshoe vitex , is a large aromatic shrub with quadrangular, densely whitish, tomentose branchlets. It is widely used in folk medicine, particularly in South and Southeast Asia.
Photo: 葉子, CC0, via iNaturalist
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