Leaf
Daniel Barthélémy, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Montpelier cistus
Cistus monspeliensis L.
Also known as: Montpelier rock rose
Family: Cistaceae
0.5 to 1 m tall
Garrigue, dry banks, rock gardens, poor soils
Flowering: April – June
Full sun
Hardy to -10°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Its sticky, resinous leaves give off the strong resinous smell typical of garrigue in the sun. Montpelier cistus has narrow, lanceolate leaves that feel sticky to the touch, whereas sage-leaved rock rose has ovate, wrinkled, greyish leaves reminiscent of those of sage.
🍃 Leaves
Narrow, lanceolate, sessile or nearly so, often sticky and aromatic, with three clearly visible longitudinal veins.
🌸 Flowers
Small white flowers with a yellow centre, numerous
🍎 Fruits
Small brown capsules
🪵 Bark
Grey-brown twigs, dense bushy habit
🗺️ Distribution
Western Mediterranean; common in garrigue and maquis along the French Mediterranean coast.
🐝 Value for pollinators
Small white nectar-bearing flowers visited by bees and various foraging insects in spring.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Used on dry banks and in drought-tolerant Mediterranean gardens.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
No known toxicity.
⚠️ Look-alike species
Montpelier cistus
Cistus monspeliensis
Sage-leaved rock rose
Cistus salviifolius
Montpelier cistus has narrow, lanceolate leaves that feel sticky to the touch, whereas sage-leaved rock rose has ovate, wrinkled, greyish leaves reminiscent of those of sage.
Montpelier cistus
Cistus monspeliensis
Grey-leaved cistus
Cistus albidus
Montpelier cistus has small white flowers and narrow, sticky, dark green leaves, whereas grey-leaved cistus has large pink flowers and ovate leaves covered in whitish down.
🌿 Other Cistaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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