When to plant and prune Rock Rose
Rock Rose flowers from early June to late July and the dates below cover planting, flowering and the pruning window.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Rock Rose is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower | Prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | late March to early May | early June to late July | early April to early May |
| South Coast and Channel | late March to early May | early June to late July | early April to early May |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | late March to early May | early June to late July | early April to early May |
| South East and Home Counties | late March to early May | early June to late July | early April to early May |
| East Anglia | late March to early May | early June to late July | early April to early May |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | late March to early May | early June to late July | early April to early May |
| Wales and West Coast | late March to early May | early June to late July | early April to early May |
| Northern England | late March to early May | early June to late July | early April to early May |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | late March to early May | early June to late July | early April to early May |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | late March to early May | early June to late July | early April to early May |
| Northern Ireland | late March to early May | early June to late July | early April to early May |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | late March to early May | early June to late July | early April to early May |
Growing notes
A profusion of short-lived papery flowers through summer, each lasting a day but produced in succession, over aromatic evergreen foliage. Sizes range from about 50cm to 2m with a spread similar to the height. Not long-lived - RHS puts it at around ten years - so take cuttings or plan to replace. Excellent in gravel, on a hot bank or in a pot of gritty compost.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 90 cm between plants
- Eventual height
- 120 cm
- Eventual spread
- 120 cm
- Hardiness
- H4
- Sun
- Full
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 30 litres or more
- Balcony rating
- 3 out of 5
Pruning: what to avoid
Cistus do not reliably resprout from old woody stems, so never cut an overgrown plant back hard - replace it instead. A light trim after flowering is only worth attempting in mild areas, as late regrowth is vulnerable to frost. They also dislike rich soil and over-feeding.
Pruning group
Established plants need no regular pruning - remove only dead or frost-damaged growth in spring; young plants can be shortened by up to two thirds in spring to encourage bushiness
Winter protection
Mostly hardy in the UK but avoid very cold or windy sites; sharp drainage matters more than winter minimum temperature.
What usually goes wrong
- frost damage in cold exposed sites
- phytophthora root rot in wet soil
- short lifespan of around ten years
- legginess if grown too rich or too shady
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for rock rose.