Aka – Chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus). It’s native to the lands around Mediterranean Sea. It does really well in dry climates. It was introduced to the US as an ornamental in the late 1900’s. It’s fairly common in the Southeast but has become popular in the southwestern US. It’s tiny fruits when ground up were commonly used as a pepper substitute in days gone by.
In the middle ages it was believed its fruits (as pepper) calmed a man’s libido. Therefore, it was common fare in monasteries and monks ate it religiously on their food (pardon the pun). Hence the name - Monk’s Pepper!
Of course, it did no such thing! The irony of what it was once believed to do and what it actually does is hysterical.
This plant is for the ladies… In Europe today it is a very common treatment for PMS. Studies also indicate it actually increases a woman’s chance of getting pregnant by 10 to 12%.
A few years ago, I had several large hives of bee’s and one very small one. The bees from the large hives would have killed all the bees in the small hive so I had to move it.
A young couple down the road with several farm animals and a big garden agreed to host the small hive for a few weeks as they had several acres of flowering plants.
The young lady asked me one day about the identity of this small tree in her yard. A pretty tree in bloom but I had to research it… It was monks pepper. When I told her the history and modern uses of the plant she said “This tree has to go!”. She was visibly upset!
Although very young she and her husband had 8 small children including a pair of twins and a set of triplets…
A few weeks later I noticed the monks pepper tree was gone… looked like someone dug it up with a backhoe, root and all!
I guess she felt she needed no help with fertility…
In the middle ages it was believed its fruits (as pepper) calmed a man’s libido. Therefore, it was common fare in monasteries and monks ate it religiously on their food (pardon the pun). Hence the name - Monk’s Pepper!
Of course, it did no such thing! The irony of what it was once believed to do and what it actually does is hysterical.
This plant is for the ladies… In Europe today it is a very common treatment for PMS. Studies also indicate it actually increases a woman’s chance of getting pregnant by 10 to 12%.
A few years ago, I had several large hives of bee’s and one very small one. The bees from the large hives would have killed all the bees in the small hive so I had to move it.
A young couple down the road with several farm animals and a big garden agreed to host the small hive for a few weeks as they had several acres of flowering plants.
The young lady asked me one day about the identity of this small tree in her yard. A pretty tree in bloom but I had to research it… It was monks pepper. When I told her the history and modern uses of the plant she said “This tree has to go!”. She was visibly upset!
Although very young she and her husband had 8 small children including a pair of twins and a set of triplets…
A few weeks later I noticed the monks pepper tree was gone… looked like someone dug it up with a backhoe, root and all!
I guess she felt she needed no help with fertility…
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