Cistus ocymoides
Common name(s): rockrose
Description: evergreen shrub; a species native to Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. Low, rounded growth with narrow, gray-green foliage and profuse blooms of yellow flowers with dark maroon blotches at the base of each petal in late spring. Considerably longer-lived in very lean soils with little to no supplemental irrigation.
Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.
Position: full sun and lean, well-draining soil
Uses: ornamental
Winter Hardiness: to 10 F and below
Drought: adapted to 5 months of summer drought
Distribution: Morocco, Portugal, Spain
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.
