A member of the family Cistacea, rock-rose is a low spreading undershrub, branching out from a woody stem. Despite its name, it is not a rose at all, and has neither scent nor nectar.
Leaves in opposite pairs, oblong or oval in shape, with sparse hairs on the upper surface and a white downy undersurface. Flowers are bright yellow with five petals and can be seen from June to September. 5 - 40 cm in height.
Widely distributed but locally abundant across much of the UK, although more common in the South. It is, however, absent in the extreme south west of England and north west of Scotland.
It is found mainly on dry calcareous grassland, although it is also known to like rocky outcrops and banks with gravel soils.
Is threatened by loss of appropriate calcareous grassland habitat, mainly by the encroachment of larger shrubs and shading vegetation. Highly intensive sheep grazing may have also contributed in the past to a reduction in its distribution.
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