Gardening : Colorful Rockrose Needs Little Water

The showy spring flowers of the rockrose, whose flowers are purplish pink or white with spots, really help make this plant a pleasure to have around, but there are many other reasons to have this plant in your garden.

For instance, did you know that it does as well in the heat of the inland areas as it does on the coast hit by salt spray or cold ocean winds? It also is water wise, needing next to nothing in water, once established or accepting normal watering conditions. In addition to all of that, it does well as a fire retardant or ground-erosion prevention plant.

Rockroses are hardy Mediterranean plants that grow rather rapidly. You can keep them easily in control by either removing some of the older branches or tip trimming the younger ones. A shearing really helps, but the plants can and do take care of themselves very well.

The C. purpureus, perhaps the best known, derives its common name of Orchid rockrose from the color of its flowers. The reddish purple, three-inch flowers with a red spot at the base of the petals adorns the plant, and it can grow to four feet high and just as wide.

The C. salviifoius, the most compact plant at two feet high and six feet wide, makes a great choice for banks. The flowers are white with yellow spots while the leaves are a crispy looking green.

“Doris Hibberson” is a clear pink variety that blooms in June and July. C. hybridus, C. incanus and C. ladanifer all can range in size from two to five feet and are just as wide. The flowers are pure white, purple pink and white with dark crimson respectively. California Assn. of Nurserymen