Darley Heath, Winter Heath ER-i-ka
x dar-lee-EN-sis
Broadleaf evergreen ground cover/shrub, to 2 ft
(60 cm), with equal or greater spread,
multistemmed. Similar to Erica carnea, but
taller, more vigorous and with better frost
hardiness. Leaves needle-like, to 13 mm, in
whorls. Flowers white to rose, appear in late
fall and may continue until mid-spring (i.e.,
winter blooming). Many cultivars, plant habit
ranges from dense, compact to open and upright,
and flower colors range from white to shades of
pink and purple.
Sun. Survives in poor growing conditions, even
alkaline soils. Needs good drainage.
Hardy to USDA Zone 6 Natural hybrid of E.
erigena ´ E. carnea. Krüssmann(1976, p. 35)
states that the leaves, young branches and
flowers of Erica × darleyensis are "not
distinguishable from those of the parents,
especially on young plants". However, it can be
differentiated from its parents because it
flowers from November to May and is more
vigorous than E. carnea and less than E. erigena.
Several cultivars available, including:
‘Furzey’ - magenta flowers, fall and winter
blooming (bloom times for mild winter area,
e.g., Pacific Northwest [PNW]). A seedling
discovered at Furzey Gardens, Lyndhurst,
Hampshire, England.
‘Kramer's Red’ (syn. ‘Kramer's Rote’) - magenta
flowers, bronze foliage in winter, blooms in
winter. Developed by Kurt Kramer from a cross
between E. carnea ‘Myretoun Ruby’ and E. erigena
‘Brightness’.
‘Mediterranean Pink’ - rosy-lavender flowers,
winter-spring blooming. Common in the PNW.
Apparently the same as ‘Darley Dale’, which was
found in Darley Dale Nurseries, Derbyshire,
England, in about 1890, and recieved the Royal
Horticulture Society Award of Merit in 1905.
‘Mediterranean White’ - pure white flowers,
winter-spring blooming. Common in the PNW.
Possibly the same as ‘Silberschmeize’, from
Germany and introduced in 1939, or even the
sport of this cultivar named ‘White Perfection.’
darleyensis: refers to Darley Dale, Derbyshire,
England, where it was raised.
Oregon State Univ. campus: west side of Gilbert
Hall.
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