Will it ever stop
raining? I sometimes hope not. This weather is so strange for
us. It feels like Austin might be becoming another rain forest.
Unfortunately, our property was hit with a tornado a few weeks ago which
uprooted nine trees. My gorgeous Mexican fountain was shattered by a
fallen limb. My hope is that your green space is surviving this
unusual weather. Nature certainly has her way of getting our
attention!
I am continuing the
tradition of writing a yearly Vitex report. Chaste tree, Vitex
agnus-castus, is a beautiful herb that thrives well in our Central Texas
heat. Chaste Tree is often used as a landscaping plant (check the exit
at Windsor, along Mopac), and of course as a prized medicinal plant.
In summer, the purple blossoms soon turn to small round green berries that
can be harvested and made in to a tea or tincture. I prefer the
tincture, as the tea is quite bitter. It is my husband’s favorite
herb, because after taking it for a couple of months a few years ago, I no
longer had PMS symptoms, such as irritability and emotional imbalance.
Vitex rocks!!
However, because of the
abundance of rain it’s been a tough year for my Vitex grove. Vitex is a
Mediterranean plant and thrives in sunny, hot weather. The hard rain
has knocked off many berries, on many trees, so the harvest as not been as
good as in past years. Each summer, I harvest fresh berries from my eleven
Vitex trees. My harvest this year included trees from some generous friends.
From the berries, I make gallons of tincture to have on hand for all my
female friends and customers. I have been called the Vitex Queen!!
Vitex is a well-known
and well-documented female hormonal balancer. Vitex helps to regulate the
menstrual cycle (especially where excessive bleeding or too frequent
menstruation is occurring), relieves PMS symptoms and menopausal hot
flashes. Vitex helps the body retain its natural balance after using the
birth control pill. Vitex can also treat fibroids, inflammation of the
womb lining and will enhance the flow of mother’s milk. It also works as an
herb that promotes fertility. I have a couple of customers now that
have become pregnant soon after using Vitex. It’s an amazingly beautiful
plant with great medicinal value.
Common names for Vitex
are Chaste Tree or Monk’s Pepper are derived from its use years ago in
Europe. It was thought to be an aphrodisiac and as well as being used
to suppress the libido of temple priestesses. The flowers were strewn on the
ground at the entrances to monasteries and convents to assist the incoming
novices. Some herbalists say it enhances libido, while others state
that Vitex will support the desires of the user. You be the judge. Some
monks did use the dried berries as a delicious peppery spice. I have
some in my cupboard and enjoy its taste with several culinary delights.
An elegant, giving, fragrant and useful plant, Vitex needs to
live in your backyard pharmacy. Plant it, nurture it initially, and
then just let her thrive.