Black plum (vitex)
Vitex doniana
A savanna tree with sweet black plums and leaves cooked as a vegetable.
Hardiness: zones 10 to 12
Light: full sun
Size: about 40 ft tall, 30 ft wide
Harvest: July to September
From: Tropical Africa
Drought-hardy once established
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.
Good for: food, wildlife, pollinators.
Native to: African savannas & tropics. Hardy in zones 10 to 12.
The story
The black plum, a vitex of tropical Africa, has fed villages from Senegal to Tanzania for millennia; the sweet, prune-like fruit is eaten fresh and dried, the leaves are a vegetable, and the tree is kept in parkland fields alongside shea and baobab.
Planting
Full sun, drained soil, heat, and a dry season; no frost. Plant seed or a seedling; a 40-foot tree.
Growing
Water young trees, then little. No pruning. It is slow but tough.
Harvest and use
Fruit ripens black in the dry season; eat fresh or dry for storage. Young leaves are cooked.
What to watch for
Frost; little else.
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More tropical and subtropical food plants
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home