Helianthemum Fire Dragon - Rock Rose

Helianthemum Fire Dragon has beautiful grey foliage on which many single and light flowers bloom, in colours ranging from red to orange. The overall effect gives this subshrub, which forms a beautiful cushion, a lot of character. The plant flowers abundantly from spring to summer, even in poor and rocky soil. A very pretty and generous variety which will form attractive ground cover in sunny areas of the garden, such as rockeries or the top of a wall.

Belonging to the Cistaceae family, Helianthemum 'Fire Dragon' is one of the many hybrids between Helianthemum apenninum, native to southern Europe, and Helianthemum nummularium, widespread in Europe and Turkey. Like its ancestors, 'Fire Dragon' loves chalky, rocky, sandy soils and the sun. It forms a low, spreading and dense cushion, about 25 cm (10 in) high and 40 cm (16 in) wide. Its evergreen foliage is composed of very small linear leaves, quite dark green, covered with soft bristles that give it a silvery grey appearance, especially when it is hot and dry. This highlights its abundant flowering. From May-June to August, it is covered with a multitude of small 3 cm (1.2 in) diameter flowers, cup-shaped, with five petals, slightly crumpled, adorned with a cluster of golden to orange stamens. The petals are dark orange tinged with red at the base. The colour fades slightly over time.

Helianthemum means "sunflower" in Greek, an appropriate name for these flowers that only open in sunny conditions. The fine and delicate blooms live for only one day, but constantly renew themselves, sometimes until autumn if the weather allows it.

Helianthemum is the ideal plant to enhance a rocky garden, a sunny slope, the top of a wall, or gaps in paving. It also thrives well in pots or containers for terraces. It can also be considered for the creation of green walls and roofs. Combine it with other rock plants (Erigeron, Gypsophila, Mount Olympus St. John's Wort, Teucrium, silver baskets), but also with perennial plants such as lavenders, rosemary, dryland irises, sedums or cistus plants. Its flowers blend delicately with the grey foliage of Stachys, artemisias or ballotas.