A little body always manages to get in on the act ... lol. Thought some of you might want to see this surprise outtake ...

I'm watching this one; it may be the first Changsha off my own tree I get to eat. In my experience with the parent fruit from Linda M they are very tasty; sweet and low acid ...

Is anyone else growing Vitex trifolia 'Purpurea' - Arabian Lilac ? It's a lovely shrub which was passed along to me by Omar. I trimmed the bottom branches since the photo was taken and like it even better.

Though it will come back from the roots I wish it would not freeze to the ground in winter so it could be grown as a small tree, but it may freeze -- depending on how low the temps go ...

The foliage is soft and turns to show the purple underside of the leaves with the slightest breeze ...

Omar, that's good to hear. Since our plants didn't develop the purple back on the leaves until later in the year the question remains whether this is quality that might develop earlier on a mature shrub or if the color is a product of the fall season. Anybody know?

I will say this; season long -- my plant has never been out of flower.

A friend sent this message about our purple leaf vitex:

"I believe the spectacular foliage comes in spring, a characteristic not unlike a spring rose blush. So not an every day coloring."

Maybe it is a cool weather thing ... ?

Hmm... I don’t know. I saw Charlotte‘s plant in fall. Also, I was disappointed with its foliage in spring. The purple hue was lighter. Maybe because it was a very young plant? We’ll see next year, I guess...

Omar

Always enjoy pics of Alfie and your garden!

Hello Roselee,

There is a beautiful Arabian Lilac vital planted at the Moody Mansion on Broad Street in Galveston. It's in a back corner by the picnic tables and is probably 25' tall and wide. It is always purple and evergreen in that location. I have also seen it evergreen in Houston's generally mild winters. I didn't know it would die back in cooler areas.

Rumbum, evergreen and 25' tall and wide -- I bet that's a beauty, especially when the wind exposes the underside of the leaves!

I thought maybe it was only the leaves on mine that died and the stems and trunk were okay, but that's not the case. All the Arabian Lilac above ground is dead except for a couple of inches of the trunk. I assume it will return in the spring. We'll see.

The leaves on the Mexican olive are dead, but hanging on. That was expected. I'm a little surprised that the leaves on the big Cedar Elm are still green and are not being shed at all. Same with Thyrallis; still green, but the flowers were nipped.