Montpellier Rockrose, Cistus Monspeliensis
This is a white flowering variety. It flowers profusely over a long period.
The Montpellier Rockrose is native to Mallorca. It thrives in open
spaces, is evergreen with white flowers. The sticky leaves produce a
highly aromatic resin known as labdanum. This sticky liquid has long
been used in herbal medicine and as an ingredient in perfumes.
It
grows to 60cm and prefers a hot, dry spot in full sun. It thrives in
poor, dry, well drained and gritty soil. Don’t use compost or mulch. Can
be grown in containers.
Links:
https://anentangledbank.wordpress.com/2012/09/18/peaceful-coexistence-cistus-monspeliensis-narrow-leaved-rockrose-and-the-biologist-steven-rose/
Rockroses
The Cistaceae family is primily distributed primarily in the temperate areas of Europe and the Mediterranean basin, but also found in North America; a limited number of species are found in South America.
Most
Cistaceae have the ability to create symbiotic relationship with root
fungi. These fungi assis the root system in absorbing water and minerals
from the soil, and thus allows the host plant to dwell on particularly
poor soils.
For those wanting to cultivate truffles: rockroses can to create mycorrhizal relation with truffle mushroom.
The
leaves of some rockrose species produce a highly aromatic resin known
as labdanum.This sticky liquid has long been used in herbal medicine and
as an ingredient in perfumes. In some countries, an infusion of the
leaves is used to treat diarrhoea.
Cistus species are used as
anti-diarrhetics, as general remedies for treatment of various skin
diseases in folk medicine and as anti-inflammatory agents.
This
fast-growing evergreen shrub stands up to heat, strong winds, salt
spray and drought without complaint, and once established it needs very
little care.
Plant the shrubs in a location with full sun and deep
soil where they can put down spreading roots. They grow in almost any
type of soil as long as it drains freely, including poor soils where
other shrubs struggle to take hold. Rockrose plants are hardy in
USDA plant hardiness zones 8 through 11.
Links:
http://www.academia.edu/1749577/Rockrose_Cistus_sppl._in_Castilla_La_Mancha_Spain_an_introduction