Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants
Shrubs
Cistus ocymoides
basil-leaved rockrose
A bushy, spreading dwarf evergreen shrub with narrowly oval, grey-green leaves and bright yellow flowers to 3cm wide, the petals blotched with deep purple at the base, in early summer
Synonyms
Helianthemum ocymoidesHalimium ocymoides
see moreCistus algarvensis
× Halimiocistus algarvensis
Helianthemum algarvense
prev
next
Buy this plant
Size
Ultimate height
0.1–0.5 metresTime to ultimate height
5–10 yearsUltimate spread
0.5–1 metresGrowing conditions
Chalk
Clay
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
Spring | Green Grey Silver | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Summer | Purple Yellow | Green Grey Silver | ||
Autumn | Green Grey Silver | |||
Winter | Green Grey Silver |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
West–facing or South–facing
Exposure
ShelteredDrought resistance
Yes Hardiness
H4Botanical details
- Family
- Cistaceae
- Native to the UK
- 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
- Iberian Pen., Morocco
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in well-drained sandy soil in full sun
Propagation
Propagate by semi-hardwood cuttings
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Cottage and informal garden
- City and courtyard gardens
- Coastal
- Banks and slopes
- Flower borders and beds
- Wall side borders
Pruning
Pests
Generally pest-free
Diseases
Generally disease-free
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.