South Europe is the home of the cistus incanus bush which has a
pink-red blossom. Its aromatic and resinous scent lies over the typical
macchia countryside with its low and dense expanses of bushes at
harvesting time in the spring. Here, in one of the sunniest regions of
Europe, the bush which loves heat and light prefers to grow on ground
which is uncultivated and rich in magnesium.
The grey-haired cistus
played a central role in some areas of Greece until the 1960’s: in
summer and winter alike, the bitter tea was held in high regard as a
thirst quencher and as a drink for relaxing after a strenuous day.
Although
Cistus incanus grows in a lot of southern European areas, it seems that
the tea was only drunken in some areas of Greece and not in Crete,
Turkey or Italy. The reason might be that identical plants have very
different attributes in different location .
Links:
http://pegasus-bio.gr/en/cultivations/herbs2-pegasusbiohyperfoods-/biocistuscreticusbiocistusincanuscreticuspegasusbiobiorockrosebiolabdanum
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Cistus+creticus
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