Common gum cistus
The plant that produces the aromatic resin that is known as ladanum.
Rock roses grow in the warm bushlands and scrub forests of southern Europe. In the spring, they bloom with white, pink, or purple flowers and add wonderful color to the landscape.
Rock roses, and especially the species common gum cistus (Cistus ladanifer), has many small glandular hairs on the leaves that produce an aromatic resin called labdanum. It is used in natural medicine and perfume.
The classic way to collect labdanum was to let goats graze in areas with many rock roses until the fur was thick with resin, which they then brushed of and gathered.
Another way was to use a kind of rake with leather strips instead of teeth. The rake was pulled through the plants and then the resin was scraped off the strips with a knife.
Facts:
- Greenhouse location: Mediterranean House
- Danish name: Harpiks-soløjetræ
- Latin name: Cistus ladanifer
- Family: Rock rose family / Cistaceae
- Natural habitat: The Mediterranean