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Vitex rotundifolia L. f. (ITIS)
Beach vitex, chasteberry, roundleaf chastetree, Monk’s pepper
Asia (Olsen and Bell 2005)
1989-1990 (Olsen and Bell 2005)
Introduced for erosion control (Olsen and Bell 2005)
Crowds out native species and may destroy sea turtle nesting habitat (Cousins et al. 2010)
Beach vitex infestation, plants stripped of runner and fruit by major winter storm
Photo by Randy Westbrooks; Invasive Plant Control, Inc.
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The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source.
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Cousins, M.C., J. Briggs, C. Gresham, J. Whetstone, and T. Whitwell. 2010. Beach vitex (Vitex rotundifolia): an invasive coastal species [PDF, 248 KB]. Invasive Plant Science and Management 3:340–345.
Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Vitex rotundifolia. [Accessed Mar 16, 2023].
Olsen, R.T. and A.C. Bell. 2005. History of beach vitex cultivation: a potential invasive ornamental [PDF, 2.34 MB]. In: B.L. James (Ed.), Proceedings of the 50th Annual Southern Nursery Association Research Conference (pp. 531-533). Atlanta, Ga.: Southern Nursery Association.