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CISTUS
Commonly known as Rock rose
Genus of 19 species of evergreen shrubs from dry, stony soils in the Canary Islands, northern Africa, Turkey and southern Europe.
Grown for their saucer-shaped, 5-petalled white to dark-pink flowers. Often short-lived.
C. ladanifer (western Mediterranean) is the source of labdanum, a sticky brown resin used in history as incense. It was gathered by combing the fleeces of goats and sheep which grazed on the shrubs. In the present it is used in perfumery as a subsitute for ambergris (the sperm whale being endangered) and in the tobacco flavourings in electronic cigarette liquid.
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Evergreen
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Dwarf shrubTypically only grows to a maximum of one or two feet in height but there will be some exceptions.
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Medium shrubTypically grow to around 4-6 feet in height
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Additional FeaturesGood to knowEach bloom lasts only one day. Good for coastal gardens.Place of originCanary Islands, northern Africa, Turkey, southern Europe.
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WildlifeButterfly friendly
Buy Varieties of CISTUS
![Royal Horticultural Society 'Award of Garden Merit' (AGM) AWARD](https://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/img/misc/agm_large.png)
![© Burncoose Nurseries, all pictures for illustrative purposes only. CISTUS x aguilarii 'Maculatus'](https://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/img/products/squaremedium/cistus_x_aguilari_maculatus_5426s.jpg)
CISTUS x aguilarii 'Maculatus'
white
![© Burncoose Nurseries, all pictures for illustrative purposes only. CISTUS x argenteus 'Silver Pink](https://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/img/products/squaremedium/cistus_x_argenteus_silver_pink_1086.jpg)
CISTUS x argenteus 'Silver Pink
peach pink, very hardy
![© Burncoose Nurseries, all pictures for illustrative purposes only. CISTUS x corbariensis](https://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/img/products/squaremedium/cistus_x_corbariensis_1087.jpg)
CISTUS x corbariensis
pure white
![© Burncoose Nurseries, all pictures for illustrative purposes only. CISTUS creticus](https://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/img/products/squaremedium/cistus_creticus_5487s.jpg)
CISTUS creticus
purple to rose flowers with a yellow centre and hairy stems
![© Burncoose Nurseries, all pictures for illustrative purposes only. CISTUS crispus](https://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/img/products/squaremedium/cistus_crispus~5.jpg)
CISTUS crispus
pink-purple
![Royal Horticultural Society 'Award of Garden Merit' (AGM) AWARD](https://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/img/misc/agm_large.png)
![© Burncoose Nurseries, all pictures for illustrative purposes only. CISTUS x dansereaui 'Decumbens'](https://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/img/products/squaremedium/cistus_x_dansereaui_decumbens_1088.jpg)
CISTUS x dansereaui 'Decumbens'
white flowers with or without crimson blotches
![© Burncoose Nurseries, all pictures for illustrative purposes only. CISTUS ladanifer](https://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/img/products/squaremedium/cistus_ladanifer_1083s.jpg)
CISTUS ladanifer
white flowers with a dark red basal stain
![Royal Horticultural Society 'Award of Garden Merit' (AGM) AWARD](https://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/img/misc/agm_large.png)
![© Burncoose Nurseries, all pictures for illustrative purposes only. CISTUS x obtusifolius 'Thrive'](https://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/img/products/squaremedium/cistus_thrive_6674.jpg)
CISTUS x obtusifolius 'Thrive'
tough, evergreen shrub with yellow-centred white flowers
![Royal Horticultural Society 'Award of Garden Merit' (AGM) AWARD](https://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/img/misc/agm_large.png)
![© Burncoose Nurseries, all pictures for illustrative purposes only. CISTUS pulverulentus 'Sunset'](https://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/img/products/squaremedium/cistus_pulverulentus_sunset_1084a.jpg)
CISTUS pulverulentus 'Sunset'
cerise pink flowers
![Royal Horticultural Society 'Award of Garden Merit' (AGM) AWARD](https://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/img/misc/agm_large.png)
![© Burncoose Nurseries, all pictures for illustrative purposes only. CISTUS x purpureus](https://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/img/products/squaremedium/cistus_x_purpureus_1089.jpg)
CISTUS x purpureus
rosy-crimson flowers with a maroon blotch at the base
![© Burncoose Nurseries, all pictures for illustrative purposes only. CISTUS x purpureus 'Alan Fradd'](https://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/img/products/squaremedium/cistus_x_purpureus_alan_fradd_1090.jpg)
CISTUS x purpureus 'Alan Fradd'
white flowers with red marks at the base of each petal. Often has some flowers which revert in part to rosy-crimson
![© Burncoose Nurseries, all pictures for illustrative purposes only. CISTUS x skanbergii](https://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/img/products/squaremedium/cistus_skanbergii_1091.jpg)
CISTUS x skanbergii
clear pink
Useful extras...
![](https://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/img/products/squaremedium/Vitax_Q4_6202.jpg)
![](https://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/img/products/squaremedium/rootgrow_6203.jpg)
![](https://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/img/products/squaremedium/empathy-allpurpose_6208.jpg)