Common Name:

General Information

Vitex trifolia is a deciduous shrub or small tree growing from 1 - 4 metres tall. It is sometimes prostate or ascending in habit[]. The stems are usually procumbent, often rooting at the nodes, and forming mats several metres in diameter[].
The plant is gathered from the wild for local medicinal use. It is sometimes cultivated as a hedge plant and is widely grown as an ornamental[, ]

Known Hazards

The plant has been known to trigger various allergic reactions such as sneezing, respiratory problems, dizziness, headache and nausea[].

Botanical References

Range

Widespread in the tropics and subtropics from east Africa, through Asia to northern Australia and the Pacific Islands.

Habitat

Coastal sand dunes and sandy seashores (ssp littoralis)[, , ]. Found in teak forest, secondary forest and thickets at elevations up to 1,100 metres, but also in mangrove forest and along the shore[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	3.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a sunny position and a well-drained, preferably sandy soil[]. Plants are highly tolerant of salt in the air and in the soil[]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[].
The plant has often been cultivated, but has escaped and become naturalized in some areas[]. It has had a strong impact on the native flora and fauna along the United States Carolina coast, where it shades native plants and disrupts nesting sites for sea turtles[].
The plant can flower all year round[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The roots are diaphoretic and diuretic[]. A decoction is used in the treatment of fevers and liver diseases[, ]. It is also taken after childbirth[, ].

The leaves are anodyne, antiseptic, diuretic, emmenagogue and febrifuge[]. They are ground with garlic, pepper, turmeric, and boiled rice and then made into pills which are used in the treatment of consumption[]. The fresh juice is drunk as a remedy for headache[].
Fomentations and baths of the leaves are used in the treatment of beriberi[].
The leaves are used as a dry fomentation or poultice for treating sprains, contusions, rheumatism and swollen testicles[, ].

The fruit is said to be nervine, cephalic, and emmenagogue. It is prescribed in the form of powder, an electuary, and a decoction[]. A decoction of the dried fruits is given in the treatment of common cold, fevers, headache, watery eyes, ophthalmalgia, glaucoma and mastitis[, ].
The fruit contains an acid alkaloid, and colouring matter[].

The inner bark is chewed and swallowed as a remedy for dysentery[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is often used as a hedge, especially in Asia[], although it may trigger various allergic reactions (sneezing, respiratory problems, dizziness, headache, nausea) to people trimming or pruning such hedges[].
The plant has been used to control erosion on sand dunes, which it does well within its native range[]. However, its ability to escape from cultivation, plus its negative effect upon some wildlife, makes it unsuitable for this purpose in other areas[].
The plant makes an excellent ground cover[].

Other Uses

The leaves contain 0.11 - 0.28% of an essential oil and a resin[]. The chief constituents of the oil are l-d pinene and camphene, which between them constitute 55% of the oil, there is also 10% terpinyl acetate and 20% of a diterpene alcohol[].

The flowers and seeds of the plant are used in the making of leis[, ].

The leaves are burned as an insect/mosquito repellent[].
Oils from the leaves show considerable mosquito repellent activity. The active principle has been identified as rotundinal, a cycloterpene aldehyde. The plant shows considerable potential as a botanical pesticide that may be applied both indoors and outdoors[].

The wood is used in light construction and for tools and axe handles[].
The wood is used for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed -

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