Cistus

Cistus, along with Helianthemum, Halimium and Tuberaria, are members of the rock rose family. They are native perennials of the Mediterranean, North African and Middle Eastern regions.

These small evergreen shrubs can be found all over the garrigue here which is what convinced me to plant them in our garden. They bloom mostly in April and May with white, rose, pink, or yellow flowers.

Most Cistus work well on dry chalky, well-drained soil, some need acidic or at least neutral soil. They are all quite drought-resistant. Some of them will simply shed their leaves if the summer gets too dry. They can even survive fires. Apparently some Cistus species emit a type of oil that can cause them to combust spontaneously – although probably and preferably not in regular garden environments. Some also form mutually beneficial symbiotic associations with various fungi to help them survive in inhospitable soil environments.

Added bonus: most Cistus are “allelopathic”, meaning that they inhibit the growth of other plants (or “weeds”) close to them.

They like full sun exposure, some of them grow well also in half shade and as a native of the garrigue most of them can tolerate root pressure from trees like pines or oaks.

They are hardy to about -12 or 15 degrees in well-drained soil.

I have been planting Cistus for the past two years and am starting to have a bit of a collection:

Cistus pulverulentus

Hybrid of albidus and crispus with grey-green leaves. Hot pink flowers with white dot in the middle. Forms a flat shrub of about 50 cm height and 125 cm width. Full sun or half shade.

Bought at the local garden center and planted in the fall of 2023 as an already large potted shrub it has filled in nicely. In our Mediterranean garden it begins to bloom relatively late in April and goes on into June.

Cistus skanbergii

Hybrid of monspeliensis and parviflorus. Light pink flowers, forms a round mound of 70 x 100 cm. Full sun.

Planted in the spring of 2023 in a less than perfect location it has held it’s own until I could replant it in the new “park garden” where it has more or less exploded. This April it was just covered in blooms and buds from top to bottom.

Cistus lenis Grayswood Pink

Hybrid of sintenisii and parviflorus. Grey-green leaves and low ground-covering habit of 25 x 100 cm. Two-toned pink flowers that are almost white at the center. Plant in sun or half shade.

Bought from Jardin sec in Mèze and planted in December 2023. It has filled in nicely and had lots of flowers this April.

Cistus florentinus Tramontane

Hybrid of monspeliensis and salviifolius ‘Prostratus’. Deep green leaves and low ground-covering habit of 25 x 80 cm. White flowers in April and May. sun or half-shade.

Bought from Jardin sec in Mèze and planted in December 2023. It has since grown almost to its maximum size and flowered profusely this April.

Cistus monspeliensis “Cami da Cavalls”

Long and narrow, dark-green leaves. The young shoots are a bit sticky and aromatic when touched. Ground-covering growth with 20 x 60 cm. White flowers with yellow centers. Very drought-tolerant, plant in full sun.

Bought at Jardin sec in Mèze and planted in November 2022 in a less than perfect location. It held its own until I could geplant it in November 2023. It hasn’t grown much and the first flowers appeared in April 2025.

Cistus albidus

Grey-green, dusty-looking leaves and pink flowers. Drought-tolerant but may lose its leaves at the end of summer in case of a particularly heavy drought. Grows into a little shrub of 100 x 100 cm. Pink flowers from April to May. Plant in full sun. Can reseed itself profusely.

Bought at the local garden center and planted in the fall of 2024 on the bottom of the steep slope where the formerly huge Atriplex halimus had been cut back to a nub.

Cistus purpureus “Alan Fradd”

Narrow, dark-green leaves. The young shoots are supposed to be a bit sticky and perfumed to the touch. Grows into a shrub of 125 x 125 cm. Large white flowers with dark purple spots around the golden-yellow center. Plant in sun or half-shade.

Bought at the local garden center and planted in the fall of 2024 on our steep slope, it had some lovely blooms in April. It is supposed to be very drought-tolerant and I’m curious to see how it will hold up over summer in this exposed location and dry soil.

Cistus obtusifolius

A compact shrub of 50×70 cm when fully grown. Dark-green leaves and small white flowers with yellow centers. Tolerant of drought and poor soils, grows in full sun.

Bought at the local garden center and planted in the fall of 2024 on our steep slope, it had a few blooms in April but hasn’t grown much. I’m curious to see how it will hold up over summer in this exposed location among lots of weedy neighbors.

There are countless other beautiful varieties of Cistus but I won’t plant anymore since the garden contains already more than enough spring-flowering plants.