Cistus ×gardianus
Common name(s): rockrose
Description: evergreen shrub; a triple-hybrid raised by Robert Page from open-pollinated seed in 1991. Low, spreading growth with wavy leaf margins and pink flowers from spring into summer. Parentage: C. ×canescens × C. crispus.
Height: to 18 in. Spread: to 3 ft.
Position: full sun and lean, well-draining soil. Will tolerate nearby root competition from larger trees such as pines and firs
Uses: ornamental, weed-suppressing groundcover
Winter Hardiness: to 5 F and below
Drought: adapted to 5 months of summer drought
Care: tip-pruning after flowering (especially in the first couple of years) will result in a more attractive, compact plant. Cistus generally won't tolerate or regenerate from hard pruning of older, woody growth.
Notes: the seed parent (C. ×canescens) of this clone of C. ×gardianus was raised from a pink-flowered seedling of C. ×canescens 'Albus' which accounts for the occasional white stripes in some of the flowers.