shrubs or woody herbs of temperate regions especially Mediterranean

The Cistaceae (or rock rose family) is a rather small family of plants known for its beautiful shrubs, vastly covered by flowers at the time of blossom. This family consists of about 170-200 species in eight genera, distributed primarily in the temperate areas of Europe and the Mediterranean basin, but also found in North America; a limited number of species are found in South America. Most Cistaceae are subshrubs and low shrubs, and some are herbaceous.