Cistus ladanifer

[estación seca]

They have escaped into the wild near the coast in southern California - but there's almost no wild left there. Cistus is not a problem.

[Optimist]

Originally Posted by rbarata

So most of my country is a garden.
I see. So, they don't grow wild, or least it's not common to see them growing wild.

Wild in the sense of "going feral." Escapee plants just growing without human aid. Sort of like when horses or dogs escape and form their own independent social order (herds or packs) and can no longer be considered domesticated.

[jkofferdahl]

Not being native to North America, they have to be intentionally introduced. It's possible that they could reproduce but that would depend upon their being something living here which lives and acts so similarly to the native pollinator that it actually pollinates. Or the plants would have to self-pollinate. Of course, if they are able to reproduce they could also spread like wildfire. Or kudzu.

[rbarata]

Wild in the sense of "going feral." Escapee plants just growing without human aid. Sort of like when horses or dogs escape and form their own independent social order (herds or packs) and can no longer be considered domesticated.

Yes, that's it! They were introduced but somehow "escaped" and started to grow in the wild without intentional human intervention.

One of the main polinators here, used comercially as well as in the wild (in the nature) is the Apis mellifera which has almost worldwide distribution.

My curiosity was if these rockroses were common in the countryfield (not planted nor mantained by human intervention) but, from ES's last post, I assume someone took care of "the problem" and find ways to stop them from spreading.

[estación seca]

The reason they don't spread any more in southern California is because almost all their potential habitat has been converted to asphalt, concrete or buildings. The southern California of my youth is just a memory. Otherwise Cistus certainly could become invasive in southern California. They get by fine on just rain, and Apis mellifera is present.

[rbarata]

The reason they don't spread any more in southern California is because almost all their potential habitat has been converted to asphalt, concrete or buildings.

That's a shame. I thought it was something like large areas of desert and mediterranean shrubs landscape.

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by rbarata

That's a shame. I thought it was something like large areas of desert and mediterranean shrubs landscape.

It was, years ago.

[Tindomul]

Cool plant.