Cistus Flowers
A Mediterranean native, the drought-tolerant rock rose offers showy summer flowers and requires little looking after. Graham Rice reveals his favourites, Cistus Flowers.
AS our summers change, it is predicted that dry spells will become more frequent and restrictions on the use of water in the garden are likely to be increasingly stringent. As a result, more and more of us are going to need attractive – and easy-to-grow – drought-tolerant plants. Step forward: cistus. Almost everyone who has been on a Mediterranean holiday will have seen these plants. Cistus are evergreen shrubs found growing on sunny hillsides, in rocky places or along rural roadsides – usually in full sun and in well-drained situations. Some develop a low and creeping habit; others make taller shrubs up to 6½ft (2m) in height; about 39in (1m) is more usual, though. As with many shrubs native to the Mediterranean region, they often have foliage that is packed with aromatic or volatile oils.
All cistus feature showy, short-lived flowers in reddish or pink shades, or in white, their petals usually appealingly crinkled like tissue paper. Flowering in June and July, they are somewhat reminiscent of wild roses, and blooms tend to feature a boldly contrasting mark at the base of each petal. Each flower generally lasts for only a single day, but they are produced with such generosity that you really don’t notice. In their natural habitat many species form symbiotic relationships with soil fungi, including truffles, which not only help them tolerate summer drought but also provide nutrients in poor gravelly soils. In the garden, excessive feeding can disrupt these associations and may also lead to softer, less resilient growth that is more likely to suffer in cold, wet winters and in storms.
As a rule, adding generous quantities of organic matter to the planting area is a mistake; ditto throwing handfuls of fertiliser into your planting hole and finishing off with an organic mulch. Prepare cautiously: add grit in heavy soils and either do not mulch at all or stick to gravel. In the garden, cistus are staples of Mediterranean-style plantings, gravel gardens, terraced slopes, dry banks and sunny raised beds. They thrive between stones in sunny retaining walls and can even be grown in containers – where, of course, they will tolerate drought far better than most shrubs. They are also good by the sea.
A classic cistus; reddish stems carry dark, narrow foliage, against which sit large rosy-red crinkled flowers. Arranged around a mass of golden stamens, the petals feature bold crimson blotches at their bases. H: 39in (1m).
C. x dansereaui ‘Jenkyn Place’
Unusually prolific, making an attractive, evenly rounded plant that continues to bloom all through the summer. White flowers featuring a bright-red basal blotch are offset beautifully by dark-green leaves. H: 4ft (1.2m).
C. x pulverulentus ‘Sunset’
A low and spreading shrub with prettily waved foliage that has a slightly silvered sage-like look. The gently crinkled flowers are rich magenta-pink, darkening towards the base, and are both large and prolific. H: 20in (50cm).
C. x laxus ‘Snow White’
One of the most showy varieties, with a mass of large pure-white flowers (no blotches) opening from red buds. Probably the hardiest of all, it will tolerate pruning. Blotched versions are sometimes sold in error. H: 39in (1m).
C. x dansereaui ‘Decumbens’
Low and spreading, and reaching 4ft (1.2m) or more across. The dark-green, wavy-edged foliage is rather sticky, while the shining white flowers feature small crimson spots at the base of each petal. H: 2ft (60cm).
sources: Amateur gardening, June 2018
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