I have been training a vitex tree as s standard. It has grown well and fast, until I noticed this rot/scar. I had tied the tree to a pole. It is located in a very windy path and I suspect the rubbing against the pole has done damage to the trunk. What can I do to save it? The tree is not longer tied to the pole and when soil is soft enough it will be removed. Thanks in advance for your help.

First pic is overall tree. Second pic is a closeup of scar. About 1" of cambdian layer is exposed.

I think that removing its stake will be enough to save it.

Thank you.

But the reason Vitex trees are not necessarily, well, sturdy forest giants is that they are really just large shrubs and probably weak wooded ones at that. (compared to say, rhododendrons, which actually have very hard wood as far as I can tell) It's probably a bit like Buddleia - you probably could train some of the larger ones to grow as a "standard" but invariably their weak wood is going to mean the trunk splits at some point. I feel like if Vitex standards were easy we'd see them in gardens, and thus I have to wonder if you'll be constantly running up a down escalator, so to speak.
EDIT: when I google "Vitex tree", I indeed see a lot of pictures of large shrubs, not what *I'd* call trees, at least.

Yes, my neighbor has a Vitex tree, and it got minimal training.

I think it can be saved, but that weak point might split during heavy winds. If it were mine, I would cable those branches together for added support. I did that once to a tree and it worked very well.

You are right they are meant to be large shrubs and and there's a high prob. Of breakage if located in a high wind area. Just like buddleia (ex. or any tecoma.

It's no longer tied (btw WIND actually tore the ties) but have not removed the pole yet.


On a separate subject, I do a Major cringe when I see a tree/shrub that has been staked with a fence post, never removed and plant just growing around it. Why won't people remove them???

Here is a pic of "cabling". I didn't know what that was. Personally, I wouldn't do it for my large shrub in tree form. If at that stage it is so weak that it needs cabling, I would just remove it. Cabling a historical tree or a sentimental tree, yes, perhaps.

Our tree had a 'potential split" like your cabling pix shows. We loved the tree and were afraid it would split during a storm so we cabled it. 25 years later, it is still cabled and doing fine. Although, I do not know how it would have done had we not cabled it.

Here is another interesting repair sample. I found this Pic on the net but I saw a very similar repair done in my neighborhood. A tornado had damaged a tree. Somebody (qualifications unknown) screwed the split together. In less than 5 years the tree had healed itself so that you could not see the screws. Tree bark grew over the hardware, leaving no evidence whatsoever of what had been done to the tree. It was amazing. However, I always wonder what would happen if the tree had to be cut for whatever reason. I have visions of an unsuspecting tree worker cutting into the hidden hardware and chainsaw flying all over the place. Quite dangerous.

The split will be covered, but that point will always be a weak spot and dangerous. Modern arboriculture recommends removal/pruning when damage like that occurs. It's appropriate for historic or sentimental specimen trees, within safety concerns.
Having said that, we have several large Jacaranda trees that have both cabling and braces in/on them. Major branches that still might be a safety hazard have been removed while less dangerous ones remain. Whenever our treecare contractor works on trees with known or potential metal pieces are notified and very careful about where they cut. Mangled chainsaws and flying metal are to be avoided whenever possible.
I have the same reaction to embedded stakes and ties. Drives me nuts!

I think if I saw somebody working on a braced tree I would alert them. But the sad reality is that many of these workers are invisible or like in our case, the subdiv has had a 50% turnover and new residents simply don't know. An arborist is likely more cautious but a little guy trimming as a side gig, I doubt it. Sigh.

Sadly, b/c of costs involved, arborists are not as appreciated in my area, and many hire a "friend of a guy" with nothing but a 'have chainsaw, will travel' for credentials.

It's everywhere, unfortunately.

As fast as vitex grow... I'm having a hard time seeing this as a big deal.

Shrubs are difficult to make standards of for long.

Personally, I think I'd tie it back to the post and enjoy it for what it is.

I suspect that removing the stake now would only hasten injury.

alternatively...
I'd think about a hard rejuvenation pruning in February.
If cut back entirely to the ground, vitex should spring right back.

After cutting tree down... those fat limbs can be covered over with soil for additional plants. Very easy to root in my experience.

Stone, can you elaborate on this statement. Do you mean it is a simple fix vs "end of the world issue?

Ok...
If you dug the post out, and the bush soon split and fell over... not a problem. would continue growing if ignored, would grow back rapidly if cut to the ground.

I usually prefer to let them grow as nature dictates, but I've had people insist on treating them like crape myrtle.

Trying to prune any shrub into a tree form... is not going to be the best approach... to prevent the shrub from getting too heavy for the trunk to hold up is going to require staking forever... Or a lot of top pruning.

All the new growth on top tends to be too much to support.

So... yes... fairly simple fix, and not an end of the world issue.

This is a prime example of how trees and shrubs should NOT be grown/pruned/trained. So many branches growing from the same point (even competing leaders at that) is just a recipe for disaster. There's so much weight and force being applied to one single point by the heavier growing branches that it'll eventually give.

The wood seems to have slowly been tearing because of the tension and the tree has been trying to heal it.

This will need constant attention in the form of bracing and keeping an eye on it.

Or start over with another shrub/tree and choose one that's trained properly for longevity.

Lots of good advice above. it will recover .
I have a vitex small tree. I have limbed it up and it's a nice understory tree about 15' tall.

Vitex in front of the clerodendrum harlequin top in bloom just to show vitex can be trained as a understory tree.

Not the greatest pic. Not home now will get a better pic later.

Blooms leaves look like MJ .. it's vitex and used as a herbal medication.

This is from a thread earlier this summer. I spotted a beautiful example of a well formed vitex along the side of a road. Poor picture quality, but you can see the strong multiple trunks, but it's pruned to look more like a tree than a shrub.
https://garden.org/thread/view...