Cistus creticus

Name: Cistus creticus
SKU: pda446
Availability: InStock

Soft grey velvety velvety bush covered in bright pink flowers

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Tags: aromatique, bouquets, couleur, evergreen, feuillage persistant, graphique, Jardin Méditerranéen, longue floraison, Mediterranean, pepiniere lhoumois, secheresse, soleil, vivace, vivace en pot, xeriscaping SKU: pda446 Category: Balcony-Friendly, Bees and Butterflies, Bouquet, Distillations, Evergreen, Fragrant, Frost Hardy, Ground Cover, Medicinal, Rewild, The Stunners

Cistus creticus, or the Crete rockrose, is a Mediterranean evergreen shrub with moderate hardiness.

Exceptionally drought- and salt-wind-tolerant, this plant thrives in rocky, poor soils, typical of calcareous garrigue or siliceous maquis.

The leaves are thick, wooly, softly aromatic and grey-green.

The flowers are rose pink, crinkled like silk, reminiscent of wild roses.

The root system is both deep and branched. It is so powerful that it can penetrate fractured rocks to extract even the slightest trace of moisture deep underground – making it one of the most drought tolerant plants of the Mediterranean region.

Highly fragrant, the blooms attract butterflies.

Though each flower lasts only a day, their abundance and continuous renewal create a spectacular floral display for several weeks.

👨‍🌾GARDENING TIP👨‍🌾:

- ❄️This variety is slightly less frost-resistant than its brethren (-6.5°C), so make sure to mulch if you’re in a region further north of the Mediterranean climate.
- ✂️ Cistus can be lightly pruned after flowering and pinched back to promote a bushy growth, but avoid cutting into old wood.
- 🪰 Their thick leaves + resin do not attract pests, though their delicate flowers can be damaged by heavy rain
- 🏠 Avoid transplanting them once they are settled, as their roots do not like to be disturbed.

🌱🌿pdA Garden Buddy Suggestions🌱🌿 :

- Stachys byzantina, Creeping Thyme, Delosperma, Santolina, Sedum, Lavender, Rosemary, Sages, Tanacetum, Helichrysum

The Tales:

The genus Cistus was named by French botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort, derived from the Greek Kistos, which was later Latinized as Cisthos by Pliny the Elder. The genus includes around twenty Mediterranean shrub species in the Cistaceae family, closely related to Halimium and Helianthemum.

These plants have opposite, evergreen to semi-evergreen leaves that are oval to lanceolate, sometimes elongated. Some species, like Cistus ladanifer, contain aromatic resin used to produce medicinal labdanum.

Labdanum is a sticky brown resin extracted from the Cistus plants that is still used to produce perfume and vermouth. You’ll see when you touch the plant, it’s quite sticky.

🔥 Their fruits are fire-resistant capsules, allowing them to reseed naturally after a wildfire.

🥷 They also suppress weed growth through allelopathy (releasing substances that inhibit weed germination) something that our friends in the Thyme family are infamous for.

Other Names:

Crete Rockrose

Origin:

Mediterranean

Similaire

Weight	0,2 kg
Flower Color	Pink
Flowering	March, April, May
Exposure	Full Sun
Frost Tolerance	-5°C to -10°C
Soil	Dry, Poor, Sandy, Well-Draining
Size	1m H x 1m W
Planting Season	March to May, September to November