Helianthemum Ben Hope - Rock Rose

Helianthemum hybrida 'Ben Hope', sometimes called Helianthemum 'Lawrenson's Pink', is a rockrose with intense colouring of a carmine pink that shines in the warm summer light. Its ephemeral flowers, enhanced by a yellow-orange stamen center, bloom throughout the summer on small dark green foliage that takes on a greyish tint in very dry conditions. This hardy subshrub forms lovely evergreen ground cover for sunny areas of the garden, such as rockeries or the top of a wall.

Belonging to the family of Cistaceae, Helianthemum 'Ben Hope' is one of the hybrids between Helianthemum apenninum, native to southern Europe, and Helianthemum mummularium, widespread in Europe and Turkey. Like its ancestors, 'Ben Hope' loves limestone, rocky, sandy soils and sunlight. It forms a low, spreading and dense undershrub, reaching 20 cm (8 in) in height and 40 cm (16 in) in width. Its evergreen to semi-evergreen (in cold regions) foliage is composed of tiny linear leaves, fairly dark green, slightly shiny, that highlight its abundant and bright carmine pink flowering. From May-June to August-September it is covered with a multitude of small cup-shaped flowers, 3 cm (1.2 in) in diameter, with five petals, slightly crumpled, adorned with a cluster of golden to orange stamens.

Helianthemum means "flower of the sun" in Greek, an appropriate name for these flowers that only open in bright sunlight. Its delicate and fine flowers do not last long, but constantly renew themselves, sometimes until autumn if weather permits.

Helianthemum is the ideal plant to enhance a rocky garden or sunny slope, cascade over a wall, or brighten up paving. It also thrives when grown in pots or containers on terraces. It can also be considered for the creation of green walls and green roofs. Combine it with other rockery plants (Erigeron, Gypsophila, Mount Olympus St. John's Wort), but also with perennial plants such as lavender, dryland iris, sedums, or agapanthus. Its flowers blend delicately with the grey foliage of stachys, artemisias, or ballotes.