Cistus purpureus (Orchid Rockrose)

If you have ever wanted a plant that blooms extravagantly, tolerates drought and wind, thrives in poor soil, and asks almost nothing in return, Orchid Rockrose is worth a long look. This hybrid evergreen shrub produces three-inch flowers in a rich rosy purple, each petal marked at its base with a deep wine-red blotch and a bright yellow center. Individual flowers last only a day, but the plant keeps producing them in succession through late spring and into early summer, covering the mound of narrow, wavy-edged leaves in color.

Cistus purpureus is a natural fit for the Oregon coast. It tolerates salt spray, coastal breezes, and the kind of dry, gritty, well-drained soil found on slopes and sunny banks where other shrubs struggle. The evergreen foliage holds up through the winter, and the plant is hardy to around 15 degrees Fahrenheit, comfortably within the range of most coastal Southern Oregon winters. Hard pruning is not recommended, but light shaping after bloom keeps it tidy.

Plant it on a sunny slope, as a bank cover, in a gravel garden, or massed along a border for drought-tolerant color.