About Cistus ladanifer L.
Cistus ladanifer L. is an evergreen shrub that grows 1–2.5 meters (3 ft 3 in – 8 ft 2 in) in both height and width. Its leaves are lanceolate, measuring 3–10 cm long and 1–2 cm broad, colored dark green on the upper surface and paler on the underside. The flowers reach 5–8 cm in diameter, with 5 papery white petals that usually have a red to maroon spot at their base, surrounding yellow stamens and a pistil. The entire plant is covered in a sticky, fragrant resin exudate, which is the source of labdanum, used in herbal medicine and perfumery.
In ecology, C. ladanifer is especially well adapted to the Mediterranean climate, tolerating both long summer droughts and cold weather. It is an extremely aggressive plant that has invaded large areas of former farmland and grasslands in the mountain regions of central Spain and most of southern Portugal. It is called Jara pringosa, meaning "sticky shrub" in Spanish, and "esteva" in Portuguese. This species forms mycorrhizal associations with Boletus edulis, Boletus rhodoxanthus, and Laccaria laccata.
Cistus ladanifer is a popular ornamental plant, cultivated for its strongly resin-scented foliage and showy flowers. Its leaves produce a fragrant oleoresin called labdanum, which is used in perfumes, particularly as a fixative. Labdanum is not to be confused with laudanum, another name for tincture of opium. This plant has been awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
