Hi Michael ! Good question : is Cistus 'Sunset' "natural" ? Just a few words to answer : 'Sunset' is a horticultural name for the spontaneaous hybrid between Cistus albidus and Cistus crispus. This hybrid has a botanical name, which is Cistus x pulverulentus. It occurs quite frequently in the wild each time you can find the two parents growing together, as in the Corbieres mountains, South of France. As for many cistus hybrids, this one has taken the best qualities of both parents : lime resistance comes from Cistus albidus, very long flowering comes from C. albidus (early) + C. crispus (very late), frost resistance comes from C. cripsus. Do you want two even more free flowering cistus hybrids ? Try to find Cistus x oblongifolius (Cistus ladanifer x Cistus psilosepalus), white medium flowers, beautiful round bushy habit, and Cistus x ralletii (Cistus creticus x Cistus symphytifolius from Canarian islands) the best pink flowers, almost all year round. Now for those who are totally crazy about Cistus, and ONLY for those, have a look at the list of Cistus I grow in my garden, 157 species and cultivars : attached file, Word document. My cistus garden is open from march to july. Ciao Olivier
Cistes état des nouveautés au 1er octobre 1997 (Document Microsoft Word)