Chaste tree, Vitex Agnus-castus, is a beautiful herb that thrives well in our Central Texas heat. It is my husband’s favorite herb, because after taking it a for a couple of months a few years ago, I no no longer had PMS symptoms such as irritability and emotional imbalance. Vitex works!!
Vitex is a small tree or large shrub that enjoys the sun and is quite drought tolerant. Vitex, also know as Chase tree, Chasteberry tree, Monk’s Pepper and Lilac tree is a Mediterranean plant accustomed to hot weather and dry, rocky soils. It is often used as a landscaping plant (if you’re in Austin, TX check the exit at Enfield, 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. Each summer I harvest fresh berries from my eleven Vitex trees. I make a couple of 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. It helps to regulate the menstrual cycle (especially where excessive bleeding or too frequent menstruation is occurring), relieves PMS symptoms and menopausal hot flashes. This herb also helps the body retain its natural balance after using the birth control pill.
Vitex can also assist in the treatment of fibroids, inflammation of the womb lining and will enhance the flow of mother’s milk. It is also known as an herb that promotes fertility. I have a couple of customers who became pregnant soon after using Vitex. It’s an amazing plant, both beautiful and having great medicinal value.
The common names Chaste tree and Monk’s pepper derived from its use years ago in Europe. It was thought to be an anaphrodisiac and was 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. To the contrary, some herbalists say it is a libido enhancer; some say 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.
Take time to get acquainted with this plant. You can easily plant a small tree in the sun, nurture it at first and then just let it be. Vitex loves hot dry summer heat and will thrive for years.
Mahonia trifoliolata
For years Texans have been preparing delicious Agarita berry jam from the ripened berries of early spring. The berries can be difficult to harvest as the plant has a natural self-protective leaf on its branches. However, you can improvise by using umbrellas spread upside down under the bush then gently hit the branches until the very ripe berries fall. Be patient until next spring when those yummy berries appear once again then try out my recipe below for some yummy Agrita jam.
In the meantime, you can trim your Agarita bush and harvest the branches to prepare a healthy and quite tasty decoction (tea). Gently simmer the branches for at least ½ – 1 hour to release the chemical constituents of the plant. Although the root contains a more concentrated array of constituents, the branches have medicinal value as well, and you don’t have to uproot the entire plant to receive its benefits. If you do uproot the plant it is difficult to replant Agarita as it does not like to be transplanted.
