Vitex trifolia L., Lamiaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk; score: 9 (Hawaii-Pacific Weed Risk Assessment for Vitex trifolia)

Other Latin names:  Vitex agnus-castus var. javanica; Vitex agnus-castus var. subtrisecta; Vitex agnus-castus var. trifolia Kurz; Vitex benthamiana Domin; Vitex bicolor Willd.; Vitex indica Mill.; Vitex integerrima Mill.; Vitex iriomotensis Ohwi; Vitex langundi W. G. Maxwell; Vitex negundo var. bicolor (Willd.) H. J. Lam; Vitex negundo var. philippinensis Moldenke; Vitex neocaledonica Gand.; Vitex paniculata Lam.; Vitex petiolaris Domin; Vitex rotundifolia f. heterophylla (Makino ex H Hara) Kitam; Vitex rotundifolia var. heterophylla Makino ex H. Hara; Vitex triphylla Royle; Vitex variifolia Salisb.; Vitis triphylla Noronha

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Arabian lilac, Indian three-leaf vitex, Indian wild pepper, Indian-privet, beach vitex, blue vitex, hand-of-Mary, simple-leaf chastetree, vitex

French: lilas de Perse

Hawaiian: kolokolo-kahakai, pōlinalina, polinalina

Niuean: lala sea

Philippine: lagundíng dágat

Samoan: namulega

Unknown: lala, lala tahi, namulega, rara

Habit:  shrub/tree

Description:  Vitex (genus): "Trees or shrubs, often aromatic. Lvs opposite, usu palmately compound (rarely simple); lflts 3-8, entire or toothed. Infl of terminal or axillary cymes, either simple or arranged in panicles or thyrses. Flws usu small; cal truncate or 5-toothed, enlarged in frt; cor tubular to funnel-shaped, blue-purple, white, or yellow, tube often curved, limb 5-lobed and 2-lipped; stam 4, in 2 unequal pairs, usu projecting. Frt a fleshy drupe, cupped by persisten cal, containing hard, 4-celled stone. Seed 1 per cell." (A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 567)

Vitex trifolia: "Mounding shrub 6-20' tall, aromatic; bran drooping. Lvs petiolate, simple or usu compound; lflts 3, sessile, oval, broadly elliptic, or obovate, underside whitish-velvety, both ends tapering. Infl an erect terminal panicle. Flw cal bell-shaped; cor blue to purple, 0.3" long, limb 0.2" ⌀. Frt globose or ovoid, ca 0.25" ⌀, blue or black. . . . The foliage is strongly aromatic, especially when cut. . . . Vitex trifolia is an extremely variable species with several named varieties.³¹⁰" (A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 568)

Vitex trifolia L. var. bicolor (Willdenow) Moldenke: "Shrub or small tree up to 3 m. tall, twigs densely tomentose. Leaves opposite, mostly palmately five-compound, leaflets elliptic-lanceolate, acuminate, base acute, lateral leaflets smaller than term in alone, up to 10 cm. long and 3 cm. wide, pinnately nerved, dark above, lower surface densely white-tomentose. Flowers about 5 mm. long, lilac or lavender, short-pedicellate, in large, branching, axillary or terminal, tomentose, paniculate clusters." (Plants of Tonga, p. 232)

Habitat/ecology:  in cultivation: "Blue vitex [PIER ed.: Vitex trifolia] is tough and easy to grow. It thrives in sand or poor soil, prefers full sun, and tolerates hot, dry conditions as well as salt spray if planted back from the beach. It should be watered well until established; at that point watering can cease. Hdeges must be trimmed regularly and foundation plantings pruned to keep them within bouds; these fast-growing plants become tree-sized if neglected." (A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 568)

On Ta'u (American Samoa): "Occasional on littoral strand and coastal scrubby vegetation, reported only near sea level." (Botanical Inventory of Ta'u Unit, p. 63)

"Seashore." (Remarkable plants of Vanuatu. p. 72.)

Propagation:  "Blue vitex [PIER ed.: Vitex trifolia] is easily propagated from tip cuttings or seed." (A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 568)

Native range:  "Native from Madagascar and eastern South Africa throughout Asia, New Guinea, northern Australia, and the Pacific. . . ." (A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 568)

". . .ranging from tropical east Africa to the Marquesas." (Botanical Inventory of Ta'u Unit, p. 63)

"Occasional throughout Tonga. From eastern Africa and India through Malaysia to Polynesia." (presumed by PIER to be referring to native range; Plants of Tonga, p. 232)

"East Africa to Oceania." (Remarkable plants of Vanuatu. p. 72.)

Impacts and invaded habitats:  (no invaded habitats or impacts known by PIER; please let us know if you know of such information we should add here)

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
American Samoa Manu‘a Islands	Ta‘u Island	native	Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 63) Vouchers cited: Garber 611; Yuncker 9104; Whistler 1326, 7551, 7897. "Occasional
American Samoa Manu‘a Islands	Ta‘u Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Satawan Atoll		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	cultivated	Wikimedia Commons (2018) accessed 20180525; photos by starrenvironmental.com
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	New Caledonia (island)		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Niue Niue	Niue Island	possibly native cultivated	Sykes, W. R. (1970) (p. 216) V. t. var. bicolor; vouchers cited: CHR 169877, CHR 169878; RE: Vitex trifolia var. bicolor: "CHR 169178 was from a plant in the middle of Avasele and may have been planted. A few plants were seen in thickets on the Lower Terrace near Makapu Point and in thickets on the edge of fernland near the Avasele to Vaiea road. Probably Vitext trifolia var. bicolor is scattered in similar habitats elsewhere on Niue, and it is not possible to say if it was once much commoner. It is generally thought to be indigenous in this part of the Pacific, and it may be so on Niue." (Sykes, 1970, p. 216)
Pacific Pacific	Oceania		Ramon, Laurence/Sam, Chanel (2015) (p. 72)
Pacific Pacific	Polynesia		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 232)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	cultivated	Wikimedia Commons (2018) accessed 20180525, see also https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vitex_trifolia_Blanco1.226-cropped.jpg accessed 20180525 (plate from Flora de Filipinas [...] Gran edicion [...] [Atlas I], author: Francisco Manuel Blanco (O.S.A.)
Samoa Samoa	Samoa		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Tonga Ha‘apai Group	Nomuka Island	native	Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 232) Voucher cited: Yuncker 15801; V. t. var. bicolor; presumed by PIER to be native
Tonga Tonga Islands	Tonga Islands	native	Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 232) "Occasional throughout Tonga."
Tonga Tonga Islands	Tonga Islands		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island	native	Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 232) Voucher cited: Yuncker 15011; V. t. var. bicolor; presumed by PIER to be native
Tonga Vava‘u Group	Vava‘u Island	native	Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 232) Source: Crosby; V. t. var. bicolor; presumed by PIER to be native
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Ambrym Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Êpi Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Erromango Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Espirito Santo Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Pentecôte (Pentacost) Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Vanuatu (Republic of)		Ramon, Laurence/Sam, Chanel (2015) (p. 72)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 232)
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	cultivated	Wikimedia Commons (2018) accessed 20180525; (at least) one photo "Photographed at the Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden (Chiang Mai Province, Thailand)"

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Africa Africa	Africa (eastern)		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 232)
Africa Africa	Africa (eastern)		Ramon, Laurence/Sam, Chanel (2015) (p. 72)
India India	India (Republic of)		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 232)
India India	India (Republic of)	cultivated	Wikimedia Commons (2018) accessed 20180525; (at least) one photo taken in India (per link to https://www.flickr.com/photos/dinesh_valke/6679334155/ accessed 20180525; see also https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vitex_trifolia_01.JPG accessed 20180525)
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	cultivated	Wikimedia Commons (2018) accessed 20180525; photos by starrenvironmental.com

Comments:  ". . .V[itex]. trifolia is now widely cultivated in the tropics as a hedge plant." (A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 568)

"[Vitex trifolia var. trisecta] has naturalised in coastal dunes [in one area of Western Australia]" (Western Weeds, p. 166)

present in Hawaii (Alien plant invasions in native ecosystems in Hawaii, p. 221; Neal 1965 cited in Midway Atoll Vascular Plant Checklist, p. 70)

used for various purposes in "[m]ost Pacific Islands," including Marshall Islands, Melanesia, Nauru, and Hawaii (Agroforestry Guides for Pacific Islands, p. 44, 58)

cultivated in Hawaii as a hedge plant "as well as for windbreaks, foundation plantings, and screening oceanfront property from the beach." (A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 568)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Vitex trifolia, please let us know.