Vitex

Love it - I shall be looking at this one...:-)))

It grows as a small deciduous tree here, Spritzhenry, probably for Wylie, too. In colder climates it tends to be shrubby, due to dieback in the winter, though your garden may be warm enough most years to get some size to it. In even colder climates, it is grown as a big perennial, since it blooms on new growth. It loves sun and heat, and can become drought tolerant if watered deeply its first few years.

Hmmm...heat? what heat?? LOL. I know Andrewr grows this - he's in a cooler area that here. I think I might look for one....thanks for the info, Tug.

It is about 20 ft tall and needs to be trimmed every year. I also have it in a light pink. But it is planted about 6 ft from my entrance walk, and with all of the bumblebees it attracts, people are a little afraid to go to my front door. It was very easy to start from seed.

It sounds lovely. I don't know if we can buy seed - I'll ask Andrew what he did. Anything that attracts bees has to be good. They're in trouble over here - are they with you as well?

I seem to have them all over the place, but I have borage, echium, vitex, poppies and ipomea, all flowers that the bees really enjoy. I am big on seeds because it is difficult to get plants - the opposite of most everyone else. You might try E-Bay. I found some bamboo seeds in Germany, and with the EU laws, it was delivered to my door. Now I have several little bamboo plants.

I'll look in the RHS 'Plantfinder' first, then track down seeds. :-))

Strange that I found a good-sized specimen, isn't it. I'm really pleased. :-))