Cistus × hybridus

RHS Plant Profile

hybrid rock rose

Synonyms

Cistus coeris
Cistus × corbariensis
Cistus × hybridus var. corbariensis
Cistus acutifolius Sweet

Shrubs

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A bushy, dense, evergreen shrub to 1m tall with wavy-edged and wrinkled leaves.White flowers with yellow centres are freely produced in summer emerging from red buds

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

1-1.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 1-1.5 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: Correct
Plant Range: S Europe

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

Propagate by softwood or semi-ripe cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

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

Pruning

Pruning group 8; 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