Cistus pulverulentus - Rockrose

Cistus x pulverulentus is a vigorous hybrid cistus with a very prostrate habit that forms an excellent ground cover for poor and dry slopes. Able to spread over more than 3 meters (10ft) wide, this evergreen Mediterranean bush also surprises with its intense and long-lasting flowering in a warm pink colour, which can be seen from a distance. Its wild rose-like flowers last for at least 2 months, resting on a wavy and velvety green-grey foliage. This 'creeping' cistus will only thrive in perfectly drained soil and in full sun.

Cistus x pulverulentus belongs to the cistaceae family. It is a hybrid resulting from the cross-breeding between the Cistus albidus, very tolerant to limestone, and the Cistus crispus, which has a very spreading habit. All these plants are native to Mediterranean regions. The Cistus pulverulentus is a branching bush that will reach a height of 40 to 60 cm (15.7 to 23.6 in), with a spread of 1.25 to 2 m (4 to 6.5 ft), or even much more on mature subjects. Its growth is quite slow, the plant ages relatively well and lives for 12 to 15 years, sometimes more. The flowering takes place in spring or early summer depending on the climate, after the other cistus species, and lasts for about two months, extending into summer. The round and fully open corolla flowers, measuring 4 to 4.5 cm (1.6 to 1.8 in) in diameter, are a very vivid pink, almost fluorescent under the July sun and enhanced at the centre by numerous bright yellow stamens. The petals slightly overlap. They only live for a day, covering the ground with their petals in the late afternoon, but will already be replaced the next morning. The evergreen foliage is composed of thick, elongated and wavy leaves, oval in shape, grey-green and downy, measuring from 3 to 5 cm (1.2 to 2 in) long. The leaves can be partially deciduous at the end of summer in prolonged drought.

This beautiful ground cover for rocky areas and poor soils is perfectly adapted to drought and hardy down to -10/-12°C (14/10.4 °F). It will be magnificent on a slope or in a large rock garden, forming a beautiful cascade of flowers. Create a planting to accompany your cistus, evoking the scrubland, by mixing the foliage and scents of lavender, creeping rosemary, thyme, wall bellflowers, and even perennial aromatic plants. Add Californian poppies, a creeping rose (Rosa Grouse), and dryland euphorbias for some dynamism in your compositions. You can plant it in the ground (well-drained) in the south but in colder regions grow it in large pots, taking care there is sufficient drainage, and watering abundantly but spaced out, allowing the substrate to dry between waterings.