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What is this shrub with dog rose-like white flower?

Last post 02-06-2012 7:43 PM by Anna. 6 replies.

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  • 31/05/2012 08:34 PM
    • Anna
    • 06 Mar 2012
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    Baffled - can someone help?http://www.flickr.com/photos/76981158@N03/7309943248/in/photostream. I'm fairly sure this mystery shrub from my front garden is a common UK plant/flower, but hours on the internet have not helped this ignoramus identify it! It looks a bit like a dog rose with a yellow centre, but it doesn't have any thorns. The foliage of the shrub (currently about 4 feet high and wide) is quite reddish, though the new shoots are green. The flowers are about 3 cm across. It's beautiful and I want to propagate it but can't without an ID! Any suggestions would be most welcome!

  • 31/05/2012 09:39 PM
    In reply to
    • AlexS
    • Reading
    • 06 Sep 2009
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    The flowers make me think cistus but it's hard to tell, the rest of the shrub isn't clear. Have you ruled out cistus already?

    Alex
  • 31/05/2012 09:55 PM
    In reply to
    • Anna
    • 06 Mar 2012
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    I'm sure you're right - thank you so much! I can't tell you how many hours I've spent googling white flower with yellow centre. I dashed out to get a flower, but the rain has ruined the current bunch, but I will be able to make sure when the next buds open. But as soon as I went to cistus on wikipedia it clicked! Thanks again for coming up trumps!

  • 31/05/2012 10:11 PM
    In reply to
    • Anna
    • 06 Mar 2012
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    The flower seems to be a dead ringer, but I can't find a cistus species with an exact match for the leaves (or the quite dark, almost reddish leaves it had prior to spring), so the search continues...but the flower is definitely right. But if it is, I can't believe it's flourishing here in south Wales and the back garden soil is solid clay, so the front garden must be very different. I'm convinced it is some kind of cistus though...and am going to try to propagate it with semi-hardwood cuttings in summer. Not that I've ever managed this before, but it's worth a go - it is so amazingly pretty.

  • 02/06/2012 11:20 AM
    In reply to
    • AlexS
    • Reading
    • 06 Sep 2009
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    Good luck with propogation. We have heavy clay and they grow in our soil too - far from those dry sunny Portuguese hillsides I associate them with!

    Alex
  • 02/06/2012 06:12 PM
    In reply to
    • jon jon
    • stratford on avon
    • 18 Sep 2009
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    You may be able to find this cistus sets seed ,not to difficult to propagate,take cuttings as soon as flowering has finished,It could be laurifolius

  • 02/06/2012 07:43 PM
    In reply to
    • Anna
    • 06 Mar 2012
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    I'll certainly be having a look for seedlings then, since I'm not confident in my ability to root from cuttings. It really is beautiful in flower, and when not the foliage is inoffensive. And if it grows in the hideous clay here then it's got a lot going for it!