Cistus x dansereaui Jenkyn Place - Rock rose

Cistus x dansereaui 'Jenkyn Place' is a hybrid Rockrose, this bushy shrub bears narrow, dark, evergreen leaves. From May-June, and sometimes until July, it produces large white flowers adorned with red spot markings. This Mediterranean bush is perfectly suited to dry or very dry soils. Its foliage remains attractive in winter, and its spring shoots emit a balsamic fragrance in warm weather. This Rockrose is ideal for a dry garden, in non-calcareous soil. It has received an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society.

Cistus x dansereaui 'Jenkyn Place' belongs to the Cistaceae family, like all Rockroses, as well as Sunroses. It is the result of cross-breeding between Cistus ladanifer, known as Gum Rockrose, and Cistus inflatus, a species native to Western Europe, found along the Atlantic coast of France. All these plants originate from Mediterranean regions which are very dry in summer.

The hybrid Rockrose 'Jenkyn Place' is a well-branched shrub with a bushy, upright habit, reaching between 1.25 m and 1.5 m in height and 80 cm to 1.20 m in width, depending on growing conditions. Its growth is fairly rapid, but the plant typically dies after about ten years. The abundant flowering occurs from May or June, depending on the climate. It lasts 3 weeks to a month on average, but may continue longer in oceanic climates. The 8 to 10cm diameter flowers, with round, fully open, slightly crumpled corollas, are pure white, adorned with striking red spots at the base of each petal and highlighted by numerous bright yellow stamens at the centre. The petals slightly overlap. They last barely a day but are renewed daily. The evergreen foliage consists of thick, elongated, dark green leaves with wavy edges. The sticky young shoots contain fragrant essential oils, which permeate the air in very hot weather. The hardiness of this Rockrose is estimated at -12/-14°C for a mature plant in well-draining soil that does not retain water.

This 'Jenkyn Place' Rockrose can be used to establish the evergreen structure of a dry garden in poor, acidic soil. It can be planted at the edge of woodland or in full sun in a large rockery. To accompany your Rockrose, consider pairing it with Teucrium fruticans 'Azureum', a tall Rosemary 'Mrs Jessop's Upright', an evergreen Ceanothus 'Concha', Abelias, or Oleanders... You can also plant this Rockrose in coastal gardens: it tolerates sea spray perfectly.