Cistus nigricans

9x9 cm

€6,00

Cistus nigricans

€6,00

Organic

Sustainable

Locally grown

🪴Standard: 9x9 cm pot

🚂 Ships across EU

🌱 Grown without pesticides or UV lamps

Flower Color: Pink

Preferred Soil Type: Poor, Well-drained

Sunlight: Full sun

Hardiness Zone: Zone 8: -12°C

Growth Habit: Compact

Saison de plantation: March to May|May to August

Cistus nigricans (Cistus x nigricans) is a compact evergreen Mediterannean shrub with lightly fragrant foliage and a charming show of little white flowers in the spring.

The leaves are evergreen, hairy, sometimes quite sticky. Because it is a hybrid, it has a leaf form that is between lance-shaped and rounded.

The flowers bloom in spring and last only a day, but new ones open daily, creating a lovely carpet of fallen petals.

The bloom time is a bit longer than other varieties of ciste - notably the Cistus monspeliensis

It flourishes in gravelly soils or when planted among rocks, as well as in sunny flower beds and borders.

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Floral Morphology

Members of the Cistaceae, including the genus Cistus, typically produce solitary or cymose inflorescences with showy, crêpe-like petals.

Flowers are actinomorphic (characterized by radial symmetry), pentamerous, and range from 2 to 8 cm in diameter depending on species. Petals are usually white, pink, or purple with conspicuous yellow stamens. Sepals (3–5) are persistent and may be hairy or glabrous.

Leaves are opposite, simple, entire, and often covered with glandular trichomes secreting aromatic resins such as labdanum. This resin imparts drought resistance and fragrance.

Reproductive Biology

Flowers are hermaphroditic, often protandrous (anthers mature before stigmas), which encourages cross-pollination. Despite this, many species retain a level of self-compatibility, ensuring reproduction under low-pollinator conditions.

Pollination is predominantly entomophilous, with bees, beetles, and flies visiting for pollen rather than nectar.

Seeds are borne in dehiscent capsules containing numerous small seeds adapted for germination after disturbance (particularly fire).

Ecology & Adaptations

Cistaceae are emblematic of Mediterranean-type ecosystems on poor, rocky soils. Key adaptations include:

High Drought tolerance via resinous, sclerophyllous (a sclerophyll is a type of vegetation that is adapted to long periods of dryness and heat) leaves.
Fire-related regeneration, with seeds requiring heat shock or smoke compounds to germinate.
Symbiosis with mycorrhizal fungi (notably Tuber spp.), which enhance nutrient uptake in low-fertility soils.