Growing in yard in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Started in spring as small shrub. Now towers over the roof. I am attaching two pictures. HELP...anyone?
Thank you both so much. As for it being in Michigan, I assume being a root-hearty perennial means it can be cut to the ground (or almost) each autumn and will return in the spring. Is that what you would recommend for it's care?
That certainly could work. I'd consider relocating it in any case as it's too large for that spot. Not a shrub in MI I was confused by Eastern Slope of the Cacades
Yes, the plant lives in Ann Arbor with my brother at his new/old house and was a surprise to him. He almost pulled it out as a weed but decided to see what would happen. It sort of took off like Jack's beanstalk. I live in Eastern WA with mostly sage, broom and grasses except where we irrigate. My first experience with this website was with an oozing Mt Fuji Cherry Tree. I've had trouble growing ornamental cherries in this area; fungus' mostly. I'll suggest my bro cut back the Vitex and re-locate it after it goes dormant then. Thanks!!
Numerous Prunus virginiana grow natively in and near Leavenworth so this should be a good one to try in Wenatchee. Garden forms with purple leaves dominate intentional plantings of this species here, where more than one Seattle area outlet currently has these in stock. These and many other plants suitable for interior climate gardens can be seen described in the book The Garden of Joy by James Searles. Examples of suitable kinds can be seen in person at the Finch Arboretum in Spokane and the Yakima Area Arboretum. Both collections are located near highways.
I'd only recommend Prunus virginiana, chokecherry, to people with a high tolerance for suckering shrubs/trees. Cultivars are generally sold as single-stem trees but they do all they can to revert to multi-stem shrub form by putting up copious suckers, which have to be cut off (assuming one wants a well-kept appearance).
We see a lot of Prunus x Cistena in Wenatchee and around the area. They are a vigorous shrub with many suckers and require a deft hand with the pruning shears to stay neat - often grown as hedges, which I have in my yard. The flowers are negligible but the leaves are a nice dark purple. They are reliable and hardy in this climate but are the only cherry where I've had success....and I don't put them in the same category with the beautiful flowering Japanese varieties of Western WA. I'll have to keep the Prunus Virginiana in mind if I want another cherry. I've had a Kwansan for 10 years and last spring all the exterior branches failed to leaf out - the winter had less snow and I guessed that it was suffering from drought and protecting it's core - this happened even before irrigation started for the year. It has managed to maintain it's newly-pruned state but is a shadow of it's former self.
