2014 ASHS Annual Conference

Vitex agnus-castus is a deciduous shrub or small tree used in landscapes.  This drought-tolerant plant may be grown in cold hardiness zones 6 through 9.  During cold winters in zone 6, it may die back to the ground, but will likely re-grow from the roots and produce a flowering shrub during the following summer, as flower buds are formed on new growth. Interest is strong among growers and consumers for improved vitex cultivars with more compact form, heavy blooming, repeat flowering, and novel flower colors and foliage traits. Crosses were made in the summer of 2005 among cultivars ‘Salinas Pink’, ‘Abbeville Blue’, ‘Shoal Creek’, and ‘Silver Spires’.  Seedlings with desirable qualities were propagated via cuttings and planted into a field plot in Watkinsville, Georgia in 2007.  Following another round of selection, rooted liners were planted into a field in Griffin, GA in 2009, where plants have been evaluated for five years.  Three selections have been identified for release and patenting. Daytona Heat^TM Danica Pink (code V07-2) has darker pink flowers than the industry standard, ‘Salinas Pink’.  Furthermore, it is shorter in height, has a more compact, rounded form, and produces many more blooms than ‘Salinas Pink’. Daytona Heat^TM Petty Blue (code V0502-33) is a unique vitex as compared to the industry standards ‘Shoal Creek’ and ‘Abbeville Blue’.  It has medium blue flowers (rather than dark blue or purple) borne on compound panicles that have a greater number of secondary peduncles per panicle compared to the standards.  This large panicle creates a candelabra appearance. Daytona Heat^TM Dale White (code V0509A-7) is an improved white vitex, as compared to the industry standard, ‘Silver Spires’.  It has upright, larger panicles with flowers borne more closely together along the rachis, creating a more striking floral display.  All of these selections are easily propagated from stem cuttings.