The English name hoary rock-rose may refer to this species, among others.

C. × incanus is a shrubby plant, to about 1 m (3 ft) tall, with grey-green leaves and pink to purple flowers.

The name Cistus incanus was first used by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 in Species Plantarum.

In the first, generally older, treatment, C. incanus is accepted, with C. villosus being a synonym.

[6] According to Demoly (1996), Linnaeus's Cistus incanus was recognized to be a hybrid as early as 1904.