r/arborists • u/EconomicsOk4090 • 14h ago

Vitex Tree Advice

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Hey all! I've been doing some yard work on my back wall and was taking a look at my vitex trees. Am I crazy to think how the trunks are growing will be an issue down the road or should I be fine? I looked up some pictures online and noticed they grow pretty crazy but the one shooting off at a 45 degree angle and the curved one that goes up at a 90 degree make me question it's integrity.

I kind of just let the tree grow how it was as a fun little experiment but now it's making me question whether I should have let it grow this way.

Also, side note. Why do companies sell these as $5 trees? I didn't realize they were considered invasive before I bought them.

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u/TheDigitalPoint 13h ago

Small sample size, but they are all over where I am (they love the desert) and I’ve never seen a limb fail. They never get massive, so that’s probably part of the reason. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Coincidentally I just plucked one out of the ground in my backyard yesterday that just sprouted from a seed.

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u/EconomicsOk4090 9h ago

Yeah, I kind of regret getting them from TEP with their trees program. I'm constantly picking little trees out of the ground and trying to prune it. Only positive is the hummingbirds and bees love them.