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Heather Family [Ericaceae] |
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Photo: © RWD |
It is very similar to the [RRR] rare Irish Heath(from which it is half derived - Darley Dale Heath is a hybrid). They differ in the following features: Irish Heathgrows up to twice as high, up to 1.2m (sometimes even higher at 2m) - whereas Darley Dale Heath manages just 60cm. Irish Heathflowers are mostly 4 to 5mm long (whereas Darley Dale Heath are longer at mostly 5 to 7mm long) Irish Heathflowers between March to June (whereas Darley Dale Heath flowers through winter from November to June) |
Photo: © RWD |
It is not native, but a hybridized cultivar from Irish Heathand Winter Heath, the latter of which is also a neophyte. |
Photo: © RWD |
All heathers are woody further down. They are also all evergreen. |
Photo: © RWD |
Photo: © RWD |
Photo: © RWD |
Photo: © RWD |
yellow |
Photo: © RWD |
Photo: © RWD |
Leaves in whorls of 4 - or even 3 or 5! As-yet unopened flower buds, which are pinkish-yellowish-pink with touches of yellow-green here. Your Author thinks that what might appear to be sepals around the flower buds are actually destined to be left behind on the growing stems as whorls of leaves. |
Photo: © RWD |
Flower-buds and leaves on a squarish stem. |
11th March 2014, a grassy lawn, Broadbottom, nr. Glossop, Derbys. | Photo: © RWD |
Because it is a cultivar, the flower colour can be pink, pale-pink, or white. Maybe even other colours for other fancy cultivars of it. This specimen is growing in a small fenced-off area with overgrown grass, perhaps used by horses(?) |
11th March 2014, a grassy lawn, Broadbottom, nr. Glossop, Derbys. | Photo: © RWD |
Quite often this pink cultivar appears to have a yellow corolla, maybe because it is decaying(?). |
11th March 2014, a grassy lawn, Broadbottom, nr. Glossop, Derbys. | Photo: © RWD |
The corolla is usually between 5 to 7mm long, and quite narrow compared to other Heaths. It also has anthers (brown here, 8 off) which protrude from the constricted corolla opening. The style is in the centre, white, and protrudes beyond the anthers. |
11th March 2014, a grassy lawn, Broadbottom, nr. Glossop, Derbys. | Photo: © RWD |
The 4 narrow sepals at the rear of the corolla splay out whilst pointing forwards. The flower stalk is shorter than the corolla is long. The leaves are usually in whorls of 4. |
11th March 2014, a grassy lawn, Broadbottom, nr. Glossop, Derbys. | Photo: © RWD |
11th March 2014, a grassy lawn, Broadbottom, nr. Glossop, Derbys. | Photo: © RWD |
Darley Dale Heath differs from Winter Heath (which is one of its parents, the other parent being Irish Heath) in that the flanges of tissue running down from the leaves gets noticeable narrower as it continues downwards (whereas on Winter Heaththe flanges hardly change in diameter as they progress down the stem) |
It is very similar to the [RRR] rare
Some similarities to :
Darley Dale Heath is a winter-flowering heath, unlike most other heaths. It flowers from November through winter to June the next year. It is also a cultivar, a man-made cross between
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Erica | × darleyensis | ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ | Ericaceae |
Erica (Heaths) |
Heather Family [Ericaceae] |