Cistus × laxus 'Snow White'

RHS Plant Profile

rock rose 'Snow White'

Synonyms

Cistus × corbariensis 'Snow White'
Cistus × hybridus 'Snow White'
Cistus skanbergii 'Snow White'
Cistus 'Snow White'

Shrubs

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A vigorous, evergreen cultivar with sticky green leaves. White flowers with a golden central boss of anthers are borne profusely in summer

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 0.5-1 metres
Max Height: 0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand

Moisture: Well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H4

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Cistaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Cistus are evergreen shrubs with simple, opposite leaves and 5-petalled, bowl-shaped, white, pink or purplish flowers, each lasting a single day, over a long period in summer
Name Status: Accepted

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grows best in well-drained, poor, sandy, soil in a sheltered site in full sun. Generally lime-tolerant, but may become chlorotic on very chalky soils

Propagation

Root softwood cuttings form late spring to early summer; semi-ripe cuttings from midsummer to late summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Gravel garden
Rock garden
City and courtyard gardens
Coastal
Cottage and informal garden
Mediterranean climate plants
Banks and slopes
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Pruning group 8 or pruning group 9 if necessary; they do not respond well to hard pruning so old leggy plants are best replaced. Pinch back young plants after flowering to encourage a bushy habit

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus