The chaste tree (lat. Vitex agnus - castus L.) is a shrub that is native to Mediterranean countries; it is widespread in the Greek countryside. It prefers wet soils and typically occurs near riverbeds and lakeshores at low altitudes. Its blooming period is in summer, from June to August. Its branches bend easily, and that is why they are used in basket weaving.
According to Greek mythology, Hera, patron of marriage, was born under a chaste tree; therefore it was deemed a sacred tree. In Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus tied himself and his comrades under the bellies of sheep using chaste tree rods in order to escape undetected from Polephemus' cave.
FILOTIS - Databank for the Greek Nature
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