Shrub
Orchid Rockrose
Cistus × purpureus
Tissue-paper magenta flowers with maroon blotches on a tough Mediterranean evergreen.
- Pollinator
- Evergreen
- Deer-resistant
Quick facts
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 8–10
- Water
- Very low once established
- Sun
- Full sun
- Size
- 3–4 ft tall × 3–5 ft wide
- Bloom & interest
- Crinkled magenta-pink flowers with maroon spots, late spring to early summer
- Plant type
- Shrub
- Native range
- Not native to the US (non-invasive garden plant)
Why we recommend it
One of the showiest Mediterranean shrubs for dry mild-winter gardens: evergreen, deer resistant, and happy with no summer water. Sageleaf rockrose (Cistus salviifolius) is a lower, groundcover alternative.
Best regions: Southern CaliforniaPacific coastSouthwest
How to grow it
Watering to establish
Water weekly the first summer, then rarely; summer irrigation on established plants shortens their life.
Pruning
Tip-prune after flowering to keep it compact; it won't resprout from old bare wood.
Soil
Lean, gritty, very well-drained soil; tolerates poor, rocky and alkaline soil.
Pairs well with
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Where to buy
Shop Orchid Rockrose from trusted growers. For the best selection of xeric plants, try a mail-order specialist or ask a local independent nursery.
- High Country Gardens (opens in a new tab)Xeric specialist
- Nature Hills Nursery (opens in a new tab)Wide selection
- American Meadows (opens in a new tab)Perennials & seeds
- Etsy (opens in a new tab)Small growers
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