Steven Foster's Images of Vitex, Vitex agnus-castus, chaste tree, chastetree, chasteberry, chaste berry, monk's pepper; including berry (fruit), flower close-ups, plant in flower, and leaves with morning dew and frost.

Stock images of Vitex agnus-castus, Chasteberry. Photos © 2011 Steven Foster. Please contact us for pricing and terms at sfoster@stevenfoster.com or call +1-479-253-2629.

Sixty vertical images of Vitex agnus-castus formerly placed in the Verbenaceae (verbena family). Now new genetic information places it in the Lamiaceae or Labiatae (mint family). Who could have guessed? In medieval Europe chasteberry was held as a symbol of chastity. The branches were strewn at the feet of novices as they entered a monastery or convent. European scientific research has focused on use for menstrual and menopausal disorders. Recent studies suggest that extracts of the seeds can regulate excessive menstrual bleeding or too frequent menstruation.