Darley Dale

Origin unknown, distributed first by Abbey Brook Nurseries, UK.

Parentage : Sedum adolphi ? x E. spec.

Amended description :

Tender perennial plant comprising compact rosettes 5 – 6 (-7,5) cm across, clumping to form a dense hummock, hiding short stems. Roots fibrous.

Stem : for a young plant 0,9 cm in diameter, for an older plant 1,5 cm., pale brown with raised leaf scars. Branches arise from the base of stems.

Leaves : lanceolate, mucronate, widest in upper eighth, lower leaves to 22 x 7 x 3,5 mm, hint of a keel near apex below, green tinged red especially below at leaf edges.

Inflorescence : lateral, 8 – 10 cm long, simple; bracts up to 2,1 cm long, oblanceolate, acute.

Flowers : pedicel 6 mm long; sepals unequal, up to 9 mm long, not spreading, acute,fleshy, inside green, outside reddish green, apex red; corolla 9 mm long, petals slightly carinate, tips outcurved, yellowish to yellowish white, outside reddish; anthers yellow, carpel yellowish white.

Note :

1.   This hybrid has first been published in Sedum Society Newsletter 87, 26-27, October 2008, the description was of a rather poorly grown plant in Europe. The above is an amended description of a perfectly grown plant of James Lucas, Australia.

2.   S. ‘Darley Dale’ (to 6cm diameter) has in Australia been called ‘Sarleys Pale’, ‘Darley Date’ and ‘Early Date’ but Attila Kapitany believes these are most likely misinterpretations/misspellings of hand-written labels, that were possibly faded at the time of transcribing. Note the similarities in the letters of these names.