Hybrid Rock Rose

A lovely hybrid rock rose which thrives in all but the coldest gardens. Cistus x corbariensis is a small to medium-sized, quite vigorous, evergreen shrub with a dense, bushy habit. The lance-shaped, wavy-edged, wrinkly leaves are mid-green, aromatic in sunshine, and take on coppery or purplish tints in winter. From June to August, flowers with pure white petals like crumpled tissue-paper and a boss of golden stamens open from rose-pink buds. The flowers drop off after a day, keeping the shrub neat and tidy, and are constantly replaced by more; they are attractive to bees and butterflies. Pinch back to maintain the shape of the bush; never cut into old wood. Hybrid rock rose is exceptionally drought-tolerant, but may become chlorotic on thin chalky soils.