Cistus
( SISS - tuss )
At-A-Glance Information
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Commonly called Rockrose. this shrub requires full sun and little to no water, making it a great candidate for a water-wise California garden. The flowers will attract butterflies and bees. Native to the Mediterranean, flowers show for a month or more into the early summer, and may bloom from time-to-time throughout the rest of the year. Soft-green to greyish foliage and a mounded form adds interest to landscapes. These are great candidates for fire-hazard areas, and are good for erosion-control. This shrub is also useful in rock-gardens, in rough areas around driveways, and in wild gardens. Plant near walkways so that garden visitors can enjoy the aroma of the foliage.
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Cistus Species and Varietals
The genus Cistus includes about 20 distinct species and is a member of the family Cistaceae. Rockrose grows best on zones 4-9 and 14-24. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.
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Cistus x aguilaril 'Maculatus' This shrub grows to be 6 feet tall and 4-6 feet wide. Has white flowers with wine-colored blotches and yellow centers. |
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Cistus albidus (White-Leaved Rockrose) Grows to 4 feet tall and 8 feet wide, with furry grey leaves and bright purple-pink blooms. Blooms in fall as well as spring-summer. |
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Cistus x argentius 'Silver Pink' Grows to 3 feet high and 5 feet wide; this shrub bears clusters of cup-shaped, apricot-pink flowers. |
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Cistus 'Brilliancy' Dense, spreading shrub to 6-8 feet wide with grey-green leaves and dark magenta-pink flowers. |
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Cistus x crispatus 'Warley Rose' Grows to 2 feet high 4 feet wide with pink flowers. |
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Cistus crispus Grows to 3 feet high and 5 feet wide, with silvery-gray green leaves and purplish-pink flowers. Variety 'Decanso' grows to 1 foot high and 4 feet wide, and has cerise-colored flowers with yellow centers. |
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Cistus x fernandesiae 'Anne Palmer' Grows to be 3 feet tall and 5 feet wide, with soft pink flowers. Leaves have purple edges when new. |
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Cistus x hybridus (Cistus corbariensis) (White Rockrose) very popular species, Gets to be 3-4 feet tall and 4-8 feet wide and grey-green, crinkly leaves that are fragrant on warm days. Flowers are white with yellow centers. |
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Cistus x incanus (Cistus villosus) This is a bushy species, growing to 3-5 feet tall and wide. Purplish-pink flowers. Down-covered flowers. Varieties include 'LASCA Select' (3 feet tall and 5-8 feet wide with mauve blooms and grey-green leaves); Cistus incanus creticus (Cistus creticus) is similar, with wavy-edged leaves. |
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Cistus ladanifer (Crimson-Spot Rockrose) Compact grower, reaches 3-5 feet tall and wide. Good hedge or background shrub for dry areas of the yard. Leaves are fragrant and dark-green and flowers are white with a dark crimson spot at each petal base. Varietals include 'Blanche' (8-12 feet tall, 6-8 feet wide with white blooms), and 'Bennett's White' (with crepey petals, good for a hedge or background shrub in dry areas). |
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Cistus laurifolius This shrub has an erect growth and dark green leaves with pale underneath. Flowers bloom in clusters of three or more. Gets to be 4-6 feet tall and wide. |
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Cistus x lenis 'Grayswood Pink' Grows to be 3 feet high and 5 feet wide, and has grey-green leaves. Pink flowers have yellow centers. |
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Cistus 'Peggy Sammons' Grows to 3-6 feet tall and wide, has grey-green leaves and pink flowers. |
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Cistus purpureus (Orchid Rockrose) This species grows best in zones 3b-9 and 14-24, and is a compact variety (4 feet tall and wide). Leaves are dark green on top, grey and hairy underneath. Flowers are purple-red with a red spot at the base of each petal, and 3 inches in diameter. |
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Cistus salvifolius 'Prostratus' (Sageleaf Rockrose) This is a wide-spreading shrub that grows 2 feet high and 6 feet wide. Lighter grey-green crinkled leaves and white flowers with a yellow spot at the base. Profuse bloomer. Great for use as a groundcover. |
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Cistus 'Santa Cruz' Compact species with dense growth pattern, has fuzzy gray foliage and deep purple-rose blooms. |
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Cistus x skanbergii Grows to three feet tall and eight feet wide. Has grey-green leaves and a profuse bloom of pink flowers. |
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Cistus 'Snow Fire' Has white flowers with a red spot at the base of each petal. Blooms in spring through to summer. Gets to be 2 feet tall and 4 feet wide. |
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Cistus 'Victor Reiter' Stiff and erect plant, growing to 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. Has grey-green leaves and hot pink flowers with paler pink centers. |
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Caring for and pruning Cistus shrubs
Plant Rockrose in spring or fall in full sun exposure in well-draining soil that is somewhat sandy and alkaline (though they can take slightly acidic soil if need be). Cistus takes about a year to establish itself in the garden, and will benefit from deep waterings so that deep root systems are formed. These shrubs are drought tolerant and do not need regular water once established. Cistus growing in containers will need more regular waterings. Mulch around the bottom of plants to increase soil moisture retention. Pruning Cistus is relatively simple; pinch back to encourage bushiness and avoid severe pruning. When Cistus plants get to an old age, they tend to stop blooming and will fade. Replace older plants with new, fresh Cistus shrubs at this time.
Propagation
Cistus can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your Rockrose, follow the instructions below:
Propagating Cistus by Cutting
Propagating Cistus by Seed
Propagating Cistus by Cutting
- Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
- In summertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 6 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
- Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth on your propagated shrub, you'll know you have roots.
- Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.
Propagating Cistus by Seed
- Keep in mind that the Rockrose plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
- Harvest your seeds. The seed pods on Rockrose plants are pretty easy to spot, they're left behind after flowers have faded. Once they have dried out and begun to split open, you can harvest the seeds inside. Cut them off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will begin to split open and release the seeds contained inside. Once they have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them.
- Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 7-14 days from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
- Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.
Cistus seeds are contained inside seed pods that are left behind after flowers fade.
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Cistus seeds are tiny; take care to contain them.
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Problems and Pests
- Aphids
Gallery
Cistus shrubs can serve a variety of purposes in the garden.
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Plant Cistus near walkways so its fragrant foliage can be enjoyed by visitors to your garden.
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Rockrose is truly at home in Mediterranean-style gardens.
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Videos
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A short video about Rockroses.
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Cistus in bloom.
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Resources
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Pages 244 - 245, Cistus
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