Flowers. Photo from Deeproot Plant Base See photo from Heaths & Heathers Nursery |
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Plant Name |
Erica x darleyensis 'Margaret Porter' - H4 "Erica x darleyensis includes many hybrids of Erica carnea and Erica erigena and is one of the easiest of all heathers to grow. It is suitable for almost any soil, needs very little pruning and is useful for smothering weeds. E. x darleyensis are the ironclads of the heaths. These plants are generally more bushy and are quite a bit taller than the carpeting Erica carnea, so keep this in mind when ordering. Some people want flat carpeters, and others want the bushier taller type. Most varieties have pink or cream tips of new growth in spring and bronze foliage in the winter. Buds form in late summer or very early fall, and some cultivars begin blooming as early as late September, often lasting until May. The flowers open pale and deepen as the season progresses. Prune when young when finished blooming in May to create a bushier plant. Zones 5 (-20 degrees) and warmer." from Heaths & Heathers Nursery |
Common Name |
Darley Dale heath. Its name darleyensis refers to Darley Dale, a place in Derbyshire, England, where Winter Heath was first grown at the end of the Victorian era in the James Smith Nursery where the first hybrid seedlings appeared. |
Soil |
Well-drained Acidic Sand. |
Sun Aspect |
Full Sun and Part Shade |
Soil Moisture |
Moist |
Plant Type |
Evergreen Shrub |
Height x Spread in inches (cms) (1 inch = 2.5 cms, 12" = 1 foot = 30 cms) |
8-10 x 18 (20-25 x 45) |
Spring Foliage |
Mid Green with Cream tips |
Summer Foliage |
Mid Green |
Autumn Foliage |
Mid Green |
Winter Foliage |
Mid Green |
Flower Colour in Month(s). |
Lilac - H4 in December-May. |
Comment |
"Neat, spreading habit with glossy mid-green foliage tipped cream when young. Lilac-pink flowers in short, curving racemes, late winter and early spring. Well drained, preferably acid, soil in an open sunny situation. Quite lime tolerant and will grow in light shade." from Deeproot Plant Base . "Lilac flowers, December-May, with mid green foliage. The cream tips in spring are not pronounced. Neat rounded habit 8-10" tall x 18" wide." from Heaths & Heathers Nursery. "Ideal for rock gardens and ground cover" from Solstice Nurseries. Planting and maintenance details. The Heather Society provides data for choosing and growing heather together with heather garden design details. Heathers, Conifers and the Winter Garden by Frank Knight, John Bond, Lyn Randall and Robert Pearson ISBN 0 304 32073 0 shows how to use these plants to create an attractive garden on acid soil, with full descriptive lists of heathers and planting ideas.
Available from Available wholesale from |
Flower. |
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Flower Stalk. |
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Spring Foliage. |
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Summer Foliage. |
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Autumn Foliage. |
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Winter Foliage. |
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Flower Bud. |
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Flower Bud Stalk. |
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Seedhead. |
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Plant Label. |
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Spring Form. |
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Summer Form. |
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Autumn Form. |
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Winter Form. |
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If the links above fail or you cannot find this heather in those nurseries, the following suppliers may be of use (current in March 2015):-
The following Companion plant sections on
are written in |
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A doctor was addressing a large audience in Oxford, "The material we put into our stomachs should have killed most of us sitting here, years ago.
But, there is one thing that is the most dangerous of all and most of us have, or will eat it. Can anyone here tell me what food it is that causes the most grief and suffering for years after eating it?" After several seconds of quiet, an 80-year-old man in the front row raised his hand, and softly said, "Wedding Cake"? |
SHRUB EVERGREEN GALLERY PAGES Site Map of pages with content (o) Introduction FOLIAGE COLOUR |
7 Flower Colours per Month in Colour Wheel below IN EVERGREEN SHRUB GALLERY. Click on Black or White box in Colour of Month. |
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HEATHER ERICA: OTHER HARDY HEATHS EVERGREEN SHRUB GALLERY PAGES Introduction 1 (o)January |
Photos from Chris Garnons-Williams are added to that respective flower colour or foliage colour page in the Shrub Heather Gallery and the relevant index page in Shrub Heather Index Gallery IRRESPECTIVE OF THE ACTUAL FLOWER COLOUR OR FOLIAGE COLOUR (stated in the Handy Guide) IN THE IMAGE THAT WAS TAKEN BY CHRIS GARNONS-WILLIAMS. |
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.....Erica SEED COLOUR BED PICTURES |
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"Handy Guide to Heathers - Descriptions & Suppliers of over 1000 varieties" by David & Anne Small. Published in 1992 by Denbeigh Heather Nurseries in the UK. ISBN 0-9519160-0-9. It provides a handy reference to descriptions of heathers in the genera Andromeda, Bruckenthalia, Calluna, Daboecia and Erica which are commercially cultivated in Britain, Europe and North America. The information has very largely come from the work of the Heather Society on producing an International Register of all heather names irrespective of whether they are in commercial use or not. |
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Heather Evergreen Shrub Name |
Flower Colour |
Flowering Months |
Height x Spread in inches (cms) (1 inch = 2.5 cms, 12" = 1 foot = 30 cms) |
Foliage Colour |
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Spring |
Summer |
Autumn |
Winter |
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Erica x darleyensis |
"One of the easiest heathers to grow. It is suitable for all soils and particularly good at smothering weeds. These cultivars are hybrids between Erica carnea and Erica erigena and, like all sterile hardy hybrids, have coloured young foliage and a long flowering period. Hardy" |
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'Ada S. Collings' |
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Archie Graham' |
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'Arthur Johnson' - H8 |
Pink - H8 , which deepen with age to heliotrope |
December, January, February, March, April |
18 x 30 |
Mid Green tipped Cream |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
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aureifolia 'Eva Gold' |
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aureifolia 'Moonshine' |
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'Aurelie Bregeon' |
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'Bert' |
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'Darley Dale' - H16 |
Open |
November, December, January, February, March, April |
15-18 x 36 (37.5-45 x 90) |
Mid Green with Cream tips |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
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'Dunreggan' - H0 |
White - H0 |
January, February, March, April, May |
18 x 20 |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
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'Epe' - H11 |
Lilac Pink - H11 |
January, February, March, April, May |
12 x 24 |
Medium Green |
Medium Green |
Medium Green |
Medium Green |
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f. albiflora 'Bing' |
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f. albiflora |
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'George Rendall' - H8 and |
Open |
November, December, January, February, March, April, May |
15 x 26 (37.5 x 65) |
Mid Green tipped red initially, fading to pink and cream |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
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'Ghost Hills' - H8 |
Mauve - H2 deepen on aging to heliotrope |
November, December, January, February, March, April, May |
18 x 36 |
Light Green with Cream tips |
Light Green |
Light Green |
Light Green |
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'Golden Perfect' |
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'Jack H. Brummage' - H10 |
Reddish Purple - H10 |
January, February, March, April, May |
12 x 24 |
Golden Orange-Yellow |
Golden Orange-Yellow |
Golden Orange-Yellow |
Golden Orange-Yellow becoming Bronze-tinted |
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'James Smith' - H10 |
Deep Pink to reddish Purple - H10 |
December, January, February, March, April |
14 x 22 |
Medium Green tipped Pink and Cream |
Medium Green |
Medium Green |
Medium Green |
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'Jenny Porter' |
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'Katia' |
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'Kramer's Rote' - H14 |
Magenta - H14 |
January, February, March, April |
15 x 24 (37.5 x 60) |
Dark Bronze/Green |
Dark Bronze/Green |
Dark Bronze/Green |
Dark Bronze/Green |
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'Lena' |
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'Lucie' |
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'Margaret Porter' - H4 |
Lilac - H4 |
December, January, February, March, April, May |
8-10 x 18 (20-25 x 45) |
Mid Green with Cream tips |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
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'Mary Helen' - H8 |
Pink - H8 |
February, March, April |
10 x 18 |
Yellow/Gold |
Yellow/Gold |
Yellow/Gold |
Yellow/Gold foliage bronzing |
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'Mrs Parris' Red' |
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'Rubina' |
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'Silberschmelze' - H0 |
Ashen White - H0 |
December, January, February, March, April, May |
14 x 32 |
Mid Green with Cream tips |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
Mid Green tinged Red |
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'Snow Surprise' |
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'Spring Surprise' |
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'White Glow' - H0 |
White - H0 |
December, January, February, March, April, May |
10 x 20 |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
Mid Green |
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'W.G. Pine' - H12 |
Pink to Heliotrope - H12 |
December, January, February, March, April |
8 x 20 |
Dark Green tipped Red |
Dark Green |
Dark Green |
Dark Green |
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'White |
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'Winter Surprise' |
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Site design and content copyright ©May 2012. Page structure amended January 2013. Added separate Index Menus for Erica x darleyensis, Erica tetralix and Erica vagans May 2015. Chris Garnons-Williams. |
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Topic
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STAGE 4C CULTIVATION, POSITION, USE GALLERY
Cultivation Requirements of Plant |
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Outdoor / Garden Cultivation |
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Indoor / House Cultivation |
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Cool Greenhouse (and Alpine House) Cultivation with artificial heating in the Winter |
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Conservatory Cultivation with heating throughout the year |
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Stovehouse Cultivation with heating throughout the year for Tropical Plants |
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Sun Aspect |
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Soil Type |
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Soil Moisture |
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Position for Plant |
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Ground Cover 0-24 inches (0-60 cms) |
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Ground Cover 24-72 inches (60-180 cms) |
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Ground Cover Over 72 inches (180 cms) |
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1, 2, |
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Use of Plant |
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STAGE 4D Plant Foliage |
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Flower Shape |
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Number of Flower Petals |
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Flower Shape - Simple |
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Flower Shape - Elaborated |
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Natural Arrangements |
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STAGE 4D |
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Form |
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STAGE 1
Fragrant Plants adds the use of another of your 5 senses in your garden:- |
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STAGE 2 Fan-trained Shape From Rhododendrons, boxwood, azaleas, clematis, novelties, bay trees, hardy plants, evergreens : novelties bulbs, cannas novelties, palms, araucarias, ferns, vines, orchids, flowering shrubs, ornamental grasses and trees book, via Wikimedia Commons |
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Ramblers Scramblers & Twiners by Michael Jefferson-Brown (ISBN 0 - 7153 - 0942 - 0) describes how to choose, plant and nurture over 500 high-performance climbing plants and wall shrubs, so that more can be made of your garden if you think not just laterally on the ground but use the vertical support structures including the house as well. The Gardener's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Climbers & Wall Shrubs - A Guide to more than 2000 varieties including Roses, Clematis and Fruit Trees by Brian Davis. (ISBN 0-670-82929-3) provides the lists for 'Choosing the right Shrub or Climber' together with Average Height and Spread after 5 years, 10 years and 20 years. |
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STAGE 2
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STAGE 4D Trees and Shrubs suitable for Clay Soils (neutral to slightly acid) Trees and Shrubs suitable for Dry Acid Soils Trees and Shrubs suitable for Shallow Soil over Chalk Trees and Shrubs tolerant of both extreme Acidity and Alkalinity Trees and Shrubs suitable for Damp Sites Trees and Shrubs suitable for Industrial Areas Trees and Shrubs suitable for Cold Exposed Areas Trees and Shrubs suitable for Seaside Areas Shrubs suitable for Heavy Shade Shrubs and Climbers suitable for NORTH- and EAST-facing Walls Shrubs suitable for Ground Cover Trees and Shrubs of Upright or Fastigiate Habit Trees and Shrubs with Ornamental Bark or Twigs Trees and Shrubs with Bold Foliage Trees and Shrubs for Autumn Colour Trees and Shrubs with Red or Purple Foliage Trees and Shrubs with Golden or Yellow Foliage Trees and Shrubs with Grey or Silver Foliage Trees and Shrubs with Variegated Foliage Trees and Shrubs bearing Ornamental Fruit Trees and Shrubs with Fragrant or Scented Flowers Trees and Shrubs with Aromatic Foliage Flowering Trees and Shrubs for Every Month:- |