Cistus purpureus Betty Taudevin - Rockrose

Cistus x purpureus 'Betty Taudevin' is even more decorative than the purple rockrose, this charming shrub blooms in spring in arid areas. Forming a regular ball, slightly more compact than its parent, this cultivar also offers large flowers of a more vibrant magenta pink and young stems coloured purple-violet. It is covered with ephemeral flowers that constantly renew themselves for 3 to 4 weeks, beautifully highlighted by its dark foliage. This aromatic bush is relatively hardy and perfectly adapted to drought, clearly expressing the spirit of the scrubland. But it also performs well in other climates, as long as it is planted in a rockery or on top of a wall, in a stony or sandy soil that does not retain water.

Cistus x purpureus is a plant of the cistaceae family, which is found in the wild in rocky scrubland areas of the Mediterranean region. It is a natural hybrid between Cistus creticus and C. ladanifer, from which a highly aromatic substance used in perfumery and aromatherapy (labdanum) is obtained. In nature as well as in the garden, this shrub fills the air with an intense, amber, balsamic scent with spicy and woody notes on a hot day. Its hardiness is around -10 to -12 °C(14/10.4°F), and its lifespan is 10 to 12 years.

The Betty Taudevin purple rockrose is a highly branched shrub, with fairly fast growth, that forms a dense ball of about 80 to 90 cm (31.5 to 35.4 in) in all directions. In the Mediterranean, it flowers before the period of drought and summer heat, from May to June. In milder climates, it will bloom from late June to August. On the upper part of the violet-coloured stems, scorpion-tail-shaped floral buds appear in groups. Each floral bud opens into a corolla measuring 7 to 8 cm (2.8 to 3.1 in) in diameter, formed by 5 slightly crumpled petals, ranging from bright purple-pink to magenta. The base of each petal is marked with a brown-purple spot, while the centre of the flower is occupied by a bouquet of golden yellow stamens. Each flower disappears in the late afternoon, dropping a shower of petals on the ground. But there are countless buds, ensuring a flowering period of at least 3 weeks. The flowering gives way to fruits that open towards the sky, like small baskets filled with seeds. Its leaves are evergreen in winter, elongated, dark green, sticky and fragrant in warm weather. The root system of this rockrose is both deep and branched, it is so powerful that it manages to penetrate between fractured rocks to draw the slightest trace of moisture from deep within. 

The Betty Taudevin rockrose is a plant for rockeries and poor soils, perfectly adapted to drought. Its delicate flowers hide an extremely robust temperament and a toughness that can withstand anything. Create a dry bed, evoking the scrubland, by mixing the foliage and scents of lavender (blue, white, pink), rosemary (creeping or upright), thyme (T.vulgaris, T. polytrichus), sage (Salvia x jamensis or officinalis), oregano, California poppies, nepeta Six Hills Giant, ballota and dryland spurges (E.characias, E. cyparissias). Cultivation in large pots is possible, but a bit delicate: ensure good drainage and provide abundant but infrequent watering in summer, allowing the substrate to dry out between waterings.