Here is the answer to the Name That Plant trivia post: Vitex agnus-castus. The chaste tree as it’s also called is a native of China and India but has become naturalized in the southern United States (z6-9). Apparently it’s been here since 1670! It does bear a striking resemblance to butterfly bushes and attracts pollinators just as well. For some good information on its history follow this link to the Texas Cooperative Extension at Texas A&M.
I was going nuts waiting for the answer–do another one! I’m going to plant this and make it a tree form just outside my kitchen. It blooms twice a summer for me and is very long lasting in my zone 7 garden.
This grows great here in TN. Our offspring in Knoxville have a hillside planted with it from eight plants purchased at the end of the season in 2003 for a quarter from a big box store!
Frances at Faire Garden