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Erica x darleyensis |
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| Common name |
Dale Darley heath |
| Family |
ericaceae |
| Life cycle |
perennial (Z6-8) |
| Flowers |
lilac (winter-early spring) |
| Size |
12" |
| Light |
sun |
| Cultural notes |
likes acidic soil, well-drained but not too dry |
This heath, a hybrid between Erica carnea and Erica erigena, is the first plant to bloom in our garden - bar none. The one we have, not a named variety, isn't a stunner and is planted in our side garden, which we don't traverse much in winter - so we often overlook its tiny blooms. But it really is nice, especially when you take a look up close, where you will also notice the glossy dark-green needly foliage.
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Our garden doesn't provide the ideal, acidic soil conditions this plant craves, which may be why it just survives, not increasing in size through the years. Still, ours has been with us for more than six years now, through both harshly cold winters and soppy wet ones, so I can't complain about its hardiness.
The plant is clearly evergreen, and has brittle branches that easily break off when moved about. That explains why another plant we had, set along the driveway, didn't survive. It gets a bit messy-looking without pruning, with dead branches distracting from the fresh green ones.
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In our garden, this plant grows in the following area: side garden About my plant portraits
Visitors to this page have left the following comments| (Mrs.)Dale Georgina Darley | May 25, 2005 | How lovely-a plant with my name.Having been teased for many years(Dale is a very uncommon girl's name in England) I kept my maiden name anyway,and at last discovered a Google hit that is not Darley Dale(where a friend lives, and near a school I attended). |
| Nanette | May 10, 2006 | Is this plant deer resistent? I have an ideal soil environment, but fight the deer to keep my plants. I am also in the St. Louis, MO area and am concerned about the zoning for this plant.
Thanks
Although I have no specific experience in the deer-resistance area (deer haven't found my garden yet), I do know that sheep grazing is essential to maintain natural heather and heath landscapes - they eat the tree shoots (and prevent them from growing to maturity and casting shade) while leaving the heather alone. I would think that bodes well for deer browsing as well. |
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Last modified:
February 20, 2005
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