Montpellier rock rose
Cistus monspeliensis L. · Family: Cistaceae
A small shrub 60–150 cm tall, dense, hairy, aromatic and sticky, with narrow leaves and white flowers 2–3 cm across. Flowers March to June.
Where it grows on Tenerife
Grows in: South coast · North coast · South, 300–1000 m · North, 300–1000 m · Above 1000 m
Zones are derived approximately from the Cabildo belts.
Photos
From Wikipedia
Cistus monspeliensis is a species of rockrose known by the common name Montpellier cistus or narrow-leaved cistus. It is native to southern Europe and northern Africa, in the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub ecosystems of matorral—maquis shrublands.
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0: Cistus monspeliensis
Description
A small shrub, 60–150 cm tall, much-branched, compact, densely hairy, aromatic and sticky, with small linear-lanceolate leaves and white flowers 2–3 cm across. The fruits are black, globose capsules. Flowers from March to June.
Propagation and growing
The capsules of the "jaguarzo", easy to collect in summer, contain numerous small black seeds that germinate with some difficulty; soaking them for 24 hours in a 0.2% potassium nitrate solution may make them germinate more easily. Seedlings tend to be attacked by fungi in the seed tray if there is too much moisture. The plants are tough and undemanding as to soil; they tolerate and adapt well to clay and limestone soils, although they prefer siliceous ones. Watering should be moderate to sparse, as the plant is highly resistant to drought and dry climates. It is fairly cold-hardy and needs full sun for optimal growth. It is not usually available in nurseries, and growing it to order must be arranged at least a year in advance.
Garden use
In spring (March–June) this more or less rounded, profusely branched shrub produces its brief flowering; its small but abundant white flowers against the dark green foliage give it a showy appearance at this time of year. An added attraction is discovering, at the base of its trunk, the most curious and lovely yellow flowers with purple bracts of Cytinus hypocistus ssp. subexsertum, a species parasitic (symbiotic?) on its roots. These aesthetic qualities, together with its resistance to drought and other adverse climatic conditions across the very wide altitude range it tolerates (400–1,500 m above sea level), make it an interesting species for ornamental use in all kinds of planting schemes and for restoring disturbed areas in the driest and sunniest mid-altitude zones (medianías), where legumes do not grow well. It tolerates different soil types and needs no special maintenance, except perhaps a light winter prune.
Notes
Despite its notable variability in leaf size and degree of hairiness, no infraspecific taxa have been described for the islands.
Protection status
Not listed.
Potential vegetation
En general, no se presenta en las unidades de la vegetación potencial. Sin embargo, es común en pinares de Sur en contacto con el sabinar (Sideritido solutae-Pinetum canariensis cistetosum monspeliensis). Además, constituye jarales de sustitución (Cistetu…
Source: Cabildo de Tenerife, “Guía de especies vegetales”, CC BY. Translated from Spanish by us.
Bioclimatic belts
Warm coastal belt
- Inframediterranean, semi-arid (lower level)
- Inframediterranean, semi-arid (upper level)
- Inframediterranean, dry, without trade-wind fog
- Inframediterranean, dry, with trade-wind fog
Warm mid-slope belt
- Thermomediterranean, semi-arid (lower level)
- Thermomediterranean, semi-arid (upper level), without trade-wind fog
- Thermomediterranean, dry, with trade-wind fog
- Thermomediterranean, dry (lower level), without trade-wind fog
- Thermomediterranean, subhumid, with trade-wind fog
- Thermomediterranean, dry (upper level), without trade-wind fog
Temperate belt of laurel and pine forest
- Mesomediterranean, lower, semi-arid (upper level), without trade-wind fog
- Mesomediterranean, lower, dry, with trade-wind fog
- Mesomediterranean, lower, dry, without trade-wind fog
- Mesomediterranean, lower, subhumid, with trade-wind fog
- Mesomediterranean, lower, subhumid, without trade-wind fog
- Mesomediterranean, upper, dry, without trade-wind fog
- Mesomediterranean, upper, subhumid, without trade-wind fog
- Mesomediterranean, upper, humid, without trade-wind fog
Districts
Anaga · Metropolitan area (Santa Cruz and La Laguna) · Acentejo · La Orotava Valley · Daute · Teno · South-west · Abona · South-east · Güímar Valley