Rock Rose is a fast-growing, dense evergreen, mounding, flowering shrub that provides winter interest in the landscape. It is a hybrid of C. populifolius and C. salviifolius and is more likely to be found in nurseries under its older name, Cistus corbariensis (a name taken from the plants native location in the Corbieres Mountains of southern France). The genus name is from the Greek word 'kistos', which was the name originally used to describe the plant in ancient Greece. At maturity, the plant can reach 5 feet high and 6 feet wide with bushy leaves and attractive white flowers borne as individuals or as groups of 3. Rock Rose does best in full sun (to encourage flowering) and well-drained soil of any type. It is drought tolerant and does well in salt air on the sea coast. It requires little to no irrigation once established. It is a hardy plant and can tolerate temperatures to 10°F. Use in a drought-tolerant or winter garden. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in. | Width: 5 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Mounding
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Cordate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Undulate
Leaf value
Long-lasting
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Leaves opposite, simple, ovate to cordate, 1 to 2 inches long and wide, with a wavy margin. The leaves are a dull dark green above, and a lighter green below.
Flower color
White
Flower value
Showy
Flower shape
Saucer
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Flowers are white, a little over an inch wide, with a yellow center, 5 petals, and a yellow spot at base of each petal. The flowers are borne on terminal or short side branches, as individuals or in groups of 3. Each flower lasts a day, but blooming continues from spring to summer.