categoryZShrubs Shrubs List 
categoryZEvergreen Evergreen List 

DARLEY DALE HEATH

Erica × darleyensis

Heather Family [Ericaceae]

month8jul month8aug month8sep month8oct

category
category8Shrubs
category
category8Evergreen
status
statusZneophyte
flower
flower8pink
 
flower
flower8white
sometimes
inner
inner8red
 
morph
morph8actino
 
petals
petalsZ4
 
type
typeZspiked
 
type
typeZtubular
 
stem
stem8round
 
stem
stem8square
 
sex
sexZbisexual
 

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 Heath grows up to twice as high, up to 1.2m (sometimes even higher at 2m) - whereas Darley Dale Heath manages just 60cm.
Irish Heath flowers are mostly 4 to 5mm long (whereas Darley Dale Heath are longer at mostly 5 to 7mm long)
Irish Heath flowers 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 Heath and 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 Heath the flanges hardly change in diameter as they progress down the stem)


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 Heath grows up to twice as high, up to 1.2m (sometimes even higher at 2m) - whereas Darley Dale Heath manages just 60cm.
Irish Heath flowers are mostly 4 to 5mm long (whereas Darley Dale Heath are longer at mostly 5 to 7mm long)
Irish Heath flowers between March to June (whereas Darley Dale Heath flowers through winter from November to June)

Some similarities to : Winter Heath (Erica carnea) and to Irish Heath (Erica erigena) [see text directly above]

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 Irish Heath (Erica erigena) and Winter Heath (Erica carnea) which is also a neophyte and flowers from the winter to spring.


USE BY BUTTERFLIES
LAYS EGGS ON CATERPILLAR CHRYSALIS BUTTERFLY
Silver-studded Blue
Grayling
Large Heath
Silver-studded Blue



  Erica × darleyensis  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Ericaceae  

Distribution
 family8Heather family8Ericaceae
 BSBI maps
genus8Erica
Erica
(Heaths)

DARLEY DALE HEATH

Erica × darleyensis

Heather Family [Ericaceae]