Cistus (Halimium) ocymoides

Common name(s): rockrose

Description: evergreen shrub; a species native to Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. Gray-green foliage forms a low, rounded shrub. Profuse blooms of yellow flowers with dark maroon blotches at the base of each petal in late spring. Considerably longer-lived in very lean soils with little to no supplemental irrigation.

Height: to 2 ft. Spread: to 3 ft.

Position: full sun and lean, well-draining soil

Uses: ornamental-firescaping, landscaping

Winter Hardiness: to 5 F and below

Drought: adapted to 5 months of summer drought