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Key characteristics

Family: Cistaceae
Height: 2 to 3 feet
Width: 3 to 4 feet
Flower color: White with yellow centers
Foliage color: Dark green
Bloom time: Late spring to early summer
Light: Full sun
Water: Low
Maintenance: Low; minimal pruning needed
Growing zone: USDA zones 7 to 10
Wildlife: Attracts bees and other pollinators

Shrubs

Cistus x hybridus

White Rock Rose

Cistus x hybridus produces abundant papery white, five-petaled flowers with bright yellow centers from late spring through summer, opening from contrasting crimson-red buds. Small, ovate to heart-shaped leaves are dull dark green above and paler beneath, with distinctly wavy, lightly wrinkled margins that give the dense evergreen foliage added texture. Individual flowers are short-lived, but new blossoms open successively for an extended seasonal display.

A naturally occurring hybrid of Cistus populifolius and Cistus salviifolius, this rock rose originates in the western Mediterranean, including southern France, Spain, and Morocco.

Light

Full sun

Water

Low

Bloom time

Late spring to early summer

Find this plant

Works well in

Sun Gardens
Mediterranean Gardens
Waterwise Gardens
Pollinator Gardens

Companion plants

Gaura · Weigela · Salvia · Baptisia · Lilies · Mexican feather grass

Design tip

Masses of white flowers can bring a cool, refreshing note to sunny gardens filled with warmer colors and silvery foliage. Its broad, bushy form works especially well repeated in loose groups, creating a relaxed rhythm while keeping the overall planting simple and cohesive.