Stunning flower of a Gum rockrose

Cistus ladanifer

This commonly known as gum rockrose plant is quite popular in the Mediterranean region. And not only this one. There is a lot of cousins that cover hills, roadsides and forest areas. Most of them are plain white - those also have smaller flowers. I have seem them in huge, intensive pink blooms too.

Those with spots have one of the biggest flowers and reach a size of a large orange. Pure white, crinkly petals with very dark burgundy spots and yellow center. I couldn't have asked for more.

And as beautiful they are, they are quite invasive and not really wanted around here (though I read that in UK they have won some gardening awards). The plants leaves are covered in sticky and apparently quite flammable substance. In summer, when it gets very hot they help spread fires.
The plant will regrow after anyway as they grow undergrounds tubes storing water and nutrients. This makes them also very draught resistant and can grow in very hot, sunny spots and in poor soil.

Blooming season starts around February and lasts till late June. Then the plant will produce tons of little seeds that will spread around. I have shot some really cool looking seed pods from a different variety - they have really cool shape and colour: