About
Cistus x purpureus 'Sun Rose' is a dense, rounded evergreen shrub that typically reaches heights and widths of about 1 meter (39 inches). Its narrow, lance-shaped leaves are aromatic and sticky with resin when young. The plant showcases an abundance of deep magenta-pink, saucer-shaped blooms during early to mid-summer. Each flower features five crinkled petals with a dark purple splotch at the base, surrounding a central cluster of orange stamens and a pale yellow stigma. For optimal growth, this species thrives in full sun and requires very well-drained soil, particularly during the wetter winter months.
About the genus
Cistus consists of evergreen shrubs featuring simple, opposite leaves. They produce bowl-shaped flowers with five petals that can be white, pink, or purplish. Each flower lasts for just one day, blooming over an extended summer period.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Chalk, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H4
Plant details
- Plant type
- Shrubs
- Habit
- Bushy
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Height
- 1.5-2.5 metres
- Spread
- 1-1.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 2-5 years
- Suggested uses
- City and courtyard gardens, Coastal, Cottage and informal garden, Mediterranean climate plants, Patio and container plants
- Fragrance
- Foliage
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grows well in poor, but well drained soil, in a sheltered site and full sun. The foliage may become chlorotic with age when the shrubs are grown on chalky soil.
- Pruning
- Pruning group 8 or pruning group 9 if necessary; they do not respond well to hard pruning so old leggy plants are best replaced. Pinch back young plants after flowering to encourage a bushy habit
- Propagation
- Propagate by softwood cuttings in spring and by semi-ripe cuttings from midsummer to early autumn
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to honey fungus