Vitex, A Very Interesting Herb
https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/02/vitex-very-interesting-herb.html
Vitex is a fascinating herb that is a shrub or bush. The leaves are slender and sharply pointed, and the flowers are beautiful blue like Russian Sage. This herb was once used quite differently than it is usually used today. Vitex, Agnus castus, was known as the Chaste Tree, Chaste bush or Monk’s Pepper. The seed was used by soldiers and monks to reduce sexual desire. Now, the herb is more used by women for its effects on hormones. Far more often though, it is simply planted as an ornamental, its
medicinal value unknown to the land owner.
Vitex was mentioned by Homer, in the Iliad, as a symbol for chastity. It discussed by Theophrastus, but the most full account of its medicinal value as used in Ancient Greece and Rome comes from Dioscorides:
Agnus [vitex] is a shrub almost as high as a tree bearing long sprigs, growing near and in watery fields and in rough and uneven places. It is hard to break and the leaves are similar to those of the olive tree yet more tender and bigger. Some of them bear white flowers inclining to purple, others purple flowers; and the seed is like that of pepper. It is warming and astringent and the fruit (taken as a drink) helps those stung by snakes, the splenetic, and those with dropsy. A teaspoonful (taken as a drink in wine) brings down milk [breastfeeding] and expels the menstrual flow. It destroys generation [birth control] and is rubbed on the head bringing on a deep sleep. A decoction of the herb and seed is good as a hip bath for disorders and inflammation around the womb. The seed (taken in a drink with pulegium], or the smoke inhaled or applied) causes purgation. It dissolves headaches applied as a poultice, and is gently poured on the lethargic and mentally ill with vinegar and oil. The leaves either smoked and inhaled or scattered around drive away venomous creatures, and applied as a poultice they help those stung by such beasts. Applied with butter and vine leaves they soothe hardness of the testes. The seeds smeared on with water lessen cracks in the perineum, and with the leaves it heals dislocated joints and wounds. It is thought to be a preventative for chafing and blisters if anyone (as he travels) holds a rod of it in his hand. It is called agnus because in the sacrifices to Ceres the chaste matrons used it for sprinkling under them; and it is called lygos (that is, vimen) because of the difficulty of breaking the stems. It is also called agonon (as we should say, unfruitful or barren), or lygon, a sort of vimen [producing long flexible shoots], amictomiaenon, ortridactylon; the Magi call itsemnon, a sort of venerandum [to be respected]; it is also called sanguis ibis, the Egyptians call it sum, the Romans, salix marina, others call it piper agreste, and some, ligusticum.
Oddly
enough, although VItex was known to have been widely used by monks, it is largely absent from their writings. Likely, its lore was passed down through oral tradition, but it was not found useful in Monastic Medicine. The plant was believed to promote chastity, but could also be used as an aphrodisiac - not conditions for which one would seek medical treatment in the Middle Ages.
While I can find no mention of VItex in German Folk Medicine or the herbal medicine of central Europe, VItex was well known by the English herbalists. Gerard tells us:
The Grecians call this shrub Agnos, and Lyzos: agnos i.e. castus, chaste: because, saith Pliny in his 24th book, 9th chapter, the Athenian matrons in their feast called Thesmophoria dedicated to the honour of Ceres, desirous to keep themselves chaste, do lay the leaves in their beds under them: the Latins name it Vitex, and of divers it is termed, as we find among the bastard and counterfeit names Agynos: in Latin, Salix marina, or Salix amerina, and Piper agreste: in High Dutch, Schaffmulle, Keuschbaum: in Low Dutch, and also of the apothecaries, Agnus Castus: the Italians, Vitice, Agno Casto: in Spanish, Gattile casto: in English, Chaste tree, Hemp tree, and of divers Agnus castus. The name Agnus castus comes by consounding the Greek name Agnos with Castus, the Latin interpretation thereof.
The Temperature.
The leaves and fruit of Agnus castus are hot and dry in the third degree: they are of very thin parts, and waste or consume wind.
The Virtues.
A. Agnus castus is a singular medicine and remedy for such as would willingly live chaste, for it withstandeth all uncleanness, or desire to the flesh, confirming and drying up the seed of generation, in what sort soever it be taken, whether in powder only, or the decoction drunk, or whether the leaves be carried about the body; for which cause it was called Castus; that is to say, chaste, clean, and pure.
B. The seed of Agnus castus drunken, driveth away, and dissolveth all windiness of the stomach; openeth and cureth the stoppings of the liver and spleen; and in the beginning of dropsies, it is good to be drunk in wine in the quantity of a dram.
C. The leaves stamped with butter, dissolve and assuage the swellings of the genitories and cods, being applied thereto.
D. The decoction of the herb and seed is good against pain and inflammations about the matrix; if women be caused to sit and bathe their privy parts therein: the seed being drunk with pennyroyal bringeth down the menses, as it doth also both in a fume and in a pessary: in a poultice it cureth the headache; the frantic, and those that have the lethargy are wont to be bathed herewith, oil and vinegar being added thereto.
E. The leaves used in a fume, and also strewed, drive away serpents; and being laid on do cure their bitings.
F. The seed laid on with water doth heal the clefts or rifts of the fundament; with the leaves, it is a remedy for limbs out of joint, and for wounds.
G. It is reported that if such as journey or travel do carry with them a branch or rod of Agnus castus in their hand, it will keep them from merry-galls, and weariness: Dioscorides.
Even Maude Grieve tells us very little about this herb:
A deciduous shrub of free spreading habit, young shoots covered with a fine grey down; leaves opposite, composed of five to seven radiating leaflets borne on a main stalk 1 to 2 1/2 inches long, leaflets linear, lance-shaped, toothed, dark green above, grey beneath with a very close felt; stalks of leaflets 1/4 inch or less long- flowers fragrant, produced in September or October, in whorls on slender racemes 3 to 6 inches long, sometimes branched; the berries somewhat like peppercorns, dark purple, halfcovered by their sage-green calyces, yellowish within, hard, having an aromatic odour; taste warm, peculiar. The seeds were once held in repute for securing chastity, and the Athenian matrons in the sacred rites of Ceres used to string their couches with the leaves.
Medicinal Action and Uses---The fresh ripe berries are pounded to a pulp and used in the form of a tincture for the relief of paralysis, pains in the limbs, weakness, etc.
It seems most herbalists of most cultures and eras had little interest in an herb that promoted chastity. I can find no mention of Vitex in early American herbalism either. Human nature being what it is, I find this understandable. However, Vitex does have modern use as explained by Plants for A Future:
Medicinal use of Agnus Castus: Agnus castus has been used for thousands of years for its beneficial affect on the female hormonal system. Modern research has confirmed this use, the seeds being used to restore balanced functioning to the female reproductive system. The seeds and fruits are anaphrodisiac, aphrodisiac, galactogogue, ophthalmic, sedative, stomachic, women's complaints. Prolonged usage restores corpus luteum function. Unfortunately, the berries are unlikely to be produced in the British climate. The berries of this plant have a range of medicinal actions but possibly the most important is its ability to rectify hormonal imbalances caused by an excess of oestrogen and an insufficiency of progesterone. It acts upon the pituitary gland, reducing the production of certain hormones and increasing the production of others, shifting the balance in favour of the gestagens. Thus it has a wide application of uses in malfunctions of the feminine reproductive system and has been used with great effect in restoring absent menstruation, regulating heavy periods, restoring fertility when this is caused by hormonal imbalance, relieving pre-menstrual tension and easing the change of the menopause. Some caution is advised since excessive doses can cause a nervous disorder known as formication, which manifests as a sensation of insects crawling over the skin. The berries are considered to be an aphrodisiac, though other reports say that they are anaphrodisiac. The reason for this apparent disagreement is that the berries have a regulating effect on the body and so are likely to increase sexual activity in those who are not very active in this area whilst reducing it in those who are very active. The fresh berries are pounded to a pulp and used in the form of a tincture for the relief of paralysis, pains in the limbs, weakness etc.
Other interesting uses for this herb are culinary. Vitex is in the Verbena family, and is bitter, while the seed is somewhat of a pepper substitute. I imagine this plant would have been quite useful to decrease sexual desire for the monks who needed it, especially as they also grew great gardens of hops for their beer. Beer in the middle ages was consumed with every meal and between every meal, as the water was not sanitary. Hops have an estrogenic effect and are sedative.. Additionally, the lavender they grew for the officina and also used as a culinary herb is both sedative, and said by some to be mildly estrogenic. We can imagine that by the end of a hard day of prayers,
gardening, writing and caring for the sick, those monks were so relaxed that they had little desire for anything but sleep. Very practical people, those monks…
Author: Judson Carroll. Judson Carroll is an Herbalist from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. His weekly articles may be read at
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The information on this site is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease or condition. Nothing on this site has been evaluated or approved by the FDA. I am not a doctor. The US government does not recognize the practice of herbal medicine and their is no governing body regulating herbalists. Therefore, I'm just a guy who studies herbs. I am not offering any advice. I won't even claim that anything I write is accurate or true! I can tell you what herbs have "traditionally been used for." I can tell you my own
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