Common Rock-rose
Helianthemum nummularium
The Common Rock-rose is a prostrate to ascending evergreen subshrub that prefers calcareous dry grasslands. The plant reaches heights of 10 to 30 centimeters and often forms dense mats. Its five-petaled, golden-yellow flowers open only in sufficient sunshine and attract numerous pollinators.
Details
Habitat function
Provides structure and food in extreme dry habitats.
Nutrient uptake
Low nutrient requirement; adapted to poor soils.
Food source for
Host plant for the Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi) and the Brown Argus (Aricia agestis).
Human use
Ornamental plant for rock gardens; used in Bach flower remedies (Rock Rose).
Ecology
Ecological role
Important nectar plant and host plant for specialized butterflies; stabilizes loose soils on slopes.
Natural predators
Grazing animals (sheep, goats), various insect larvae.
Competitor species
Displacement by tall grasses and shrubs in the absence of management or due to eutrophication.
Ecosystem service
Supporting biodiversity by providing food for pollinators; erosion control.
Threats
Habitat loss due to abandonment of land use (scrub encroachment) or intensification of agriculture and nitrogen deposition.
Scientific profile
Profile
Reproduction
Predominantly generative via seeds; forms a long-lived seed bank in the soil.
Protection & threats
Main threats
Eutrophication through atmospheric nitrogen deposition, abandonment of land use (scrub encroachment and succession), conversion of grassland, and overgrazing.