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Cistus x Purpureus also is known as Rock Rose, Purple-Flowered Rock Rose, Cistus Purpureus ‘Betty Taudevin‘, Cistus crispus, or Orchid Rockrose. It is a beautiful Mediterranean shrub, which is dear resistant and is used for fire-scaping. It is evergreen. Cistus Purpureus is part of the Cistaceae family of plants. It is native to Southern Europe.
Cistus Purpureus is a hybrid the parents are Cistus creticus and C. ladanifer. Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, Chevalier de Lamarck (1744-1829) first described this plant in 1786, in the Encyclopédie méthodique par ordre des matières. He was a French naturalist.
This is a hardy plant that can withstand temperatures as low as -9ºC or 15ºF. It also tolerates coastal locations as it tolerates sand and salt. It grows to about 4′ – 6′ or 1.2 to 1.8m.
Cistus Purpureus has fragrant flowers. It blooms late spring into summer. The flowers are purplish-pink and have yellow centers. They have five petals and have a dark purple spot at the base of the petals. The flowers only last a day but there are many. The leaves are wavy at their edges. They are opposite and simple. The leaves are aromatic they are coated with a resin name labdanum.
How to grow Cistus Purpureus:
Grow Cistus Purpureus in the sun. Plant it in well-drained soil. It does not require much watering as it is drought-tolerant. It will grow in poor soil. It is disease-free and pest-free. Propagate from seed or softwood cuttings. Prune after flowering in summer for abundant flowers next season.
Also read about Cistus albidus
