Rock Rose

Rock Rose 'Sunset' (Cistus x pulverulentus 'Sunset') is a low spreading Mediterranean shrub that covers ground fast, reaching about 0.6m tall and 1.2m across. Through spring and early summer it carries deep pink flowers with a papery, crumpled texture, each one lasting a day and replaced the next morning. It asks for sun and sharp drainage and almost nothing else, which makes it a genuine answer for hot, dry, poor ground.

Why you'll love it

• Covers ground quickly. Fast growing and low branching, so a bare slope or a hot verge closes over in a season or two.
• Thrives on neglect. Drought tolerant and happy in poor soil, so it suits the strip nobody wants to water or improve.
• Colour without work. Weeks of pink flowers with no deadheading, no staking and no spray program.
• Coastal and cold hardy at once. Salt tolerant for a beachside garden and frost hardy for an inland one.
• Feeds pollinators. The open flowers are easy landing for bees and butterflies through the warmer months.

Where it works best

Groundcover and slopes. Plant 0.8m apart for full cover. At that spacing the plants knit into a continuous mat without smothering each other or trapping damp air at the base.

Mass planting. Use the same 0.8m spacing across a bed or embankment. The even low height reads well beneath taller shrubs and grasses.

Rockeries and coastal gardens. Sharp drainage between rocks or in sandy coastal soil is exactly what it wants, and salt laden wind does not bother it.

Growing Rock Rose 'Sunset' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, all day. It suits warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and arid gardens, so Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra and dry inland districts are all comfortable. Humid subtropical and tropical summers are the limit, because still, wet heat is what shortens its life.

Soil. Sharp drainage is not optional. Sandy, gravelly and rocky ground suits it best. On clay, build a raised mound or a rockery pocket rather than digging a hole and hoping. Skip the compost, because rich soil produces soft growth.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer to settle the roots, then stop almost entirely. This is the mistake that kills rock roses: kept wet, they are short lived, and left dry they carry on for years. No fertiliser is needed beyond a light native or low nutrient feed in spring if growth looks tired.

Pruning. Tip prune lightly after flowering to keep the plant compact. Do not cut back into old bare wood, because it will not reshoot from it.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown as tubestock, which is the sensible way to buy a groundcover. Tubes are young plants that establish quickly and cost a fraction of a potted shrub, so a whole embankment is affordable in one order. Expect a modest first season while roots go down, then rapid spread from the second spring, with the first real flowering in year two.

Plants travel upright and are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full groundcover range
• Compare drought tolerant plants
• See more plants for rockeries
• Which plants thrive in poor soil

Common questions

How many do I need per square metre?

Roughly one to two plants per square metre, working to 0.8m spacing. Closer planting closes the gap a little sooner but reduces airflow, which this plant needs.

How long does it live?

Kept dry and in full sun it is a long term performer. Overwatered or planted in heavy soil it becomes short lived, so drainage matters more than anything else you do.

Will it grow in Brisbane or the tropics?

It is better suited to drier climates. Humid summers keep the crown damp, which is the condition it likes least, so a native groundcover is the safer pick up north.