Vitex agnus-castus 'Bailtextwo'

Summary

Galactic Pink is a dwarf chastetree with the typically palmate leaves of Vitex but with pale pink blooms from June through October. These blooms were most showy in June in Davis and July in Irvine. Throughout the rest of the summer, there were always a few of the long pink spikes scattered among the tawny green spent flowers stalks. In the heat of Davis, flowering, foliage, and overall appearance were generally better than in Irvine. Foliage quality declined significantly in the October ratings, because while plants were green overall, the leaves were speckled with small black or gray spots. Due to the timing of this occurrence, researchers believe this resulted from soot and ash from wildfires. Late July to early October,  the trial site in Davis was periodically covered in a smoky haze and ash to the extent that staff had to wear N-95 masks during data collection events. In Irvine, researchers observed significant differences in foliage quality, floral abundance, and overall appearance between high and medium treatments in comparison to the low water treatment (Table 28b). As a result we recommend Galactic Pink be irrigated at the medium level in WUCOLS Region 3, especially where reclaimed water is in use. In WUCOLS Region 2, researchers recommend Galactic Pink be irrigated on low water, though based on observations, this cultivar may perform better at the higher end of the 10-30% of ETo range.