Broad tree to about 15 m tall, with 4-angled branchlets. Leaves with thick stalks, mostly 5-10 cm long. Leaflets (3-)5, the upper 3 largest, leathery, glossy dark green above, to 12 cm long, 5 cm wide, wavy-edged, tip pointed, hairless and with domatia below. Flower clusters of 5-15 flowers; over most of the year. Flowers deep pink, about 3 cm wide. Fruit a bright red drupe.

New Zealand

Occasionally cultivated, especially in older public gardens.

Used in New Zealand as a valuable hardwood timber.

VIC: Melbourne (Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (Melbourne Gardens), C Gate).

 

V. agnus-castus L., Chaste Tree (Lilac Chaste Tree), from southern Europe is a shrub or small tree to 3 m or more tall. Leaves stalked. Leaflets 5-9, each to about 10 cm or so long and 2 cm wide, narrowly elliptic, long-pointed, whitish below and with short stalks. Flower cluster branched, to about 30 cm long, conical, erect or pendent. Flowers densely white-hairy, with tube to 2 mm or so long, lilac with darker lower lip, fragrant; late summer. Fruit roundish, to about 3 mm wide. The twigs were once used in basketry and the fruit is used as a pepper substitute. Grown for the aromatic fragrance of the whole plant. Differs from V. trifolia in having 3-5 narrower leaflets tapering at each end.

V. negundo L. from SE and E Asia and the Pacific, S Africa and Madagascar is a shrub or small tree to 8 m or so tall. Leaves with stalk about 4 cm long. Leaflets 3-5, lanceolate, long-pointed, white-hairy below. Flower cluster branched, to about 25 cm long. Flowers white-hairy, lilac, to about 4 mm long. Fruit round, to about 5 mm long.

V. trifolia L. from E and N Australia and Asia is a shrub or small tree to 5 m or so tall. Leaves with mostly 3 leaflets, the terminal one largest, mostly 3-8 cm long, 2-4 cm wide, tips mostly short-pointed, the upper surface pale green, drying to black, lower surface with a grey felt. Flower clusters conical; spring. Flowers blue to purple, tube 4-6 mm long. Fruit a round drupe 4-6 mm wide, yellowish red at first, becoming blue to black. V 'Purpurea' Leaves soft, smooth, purple below. V 'Variegata' Leaves with a broad creamy margin.The true identity of this taxon is uncertain.

Source: Spencer, R. (2002). Verbenaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 4. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 3. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.