Javascript: document.createElement('') & delete DOMElement

If you create a element within a function like:

function makeDomElement()
{
   var createdElement = document.createElement('textarea');
}

And you do not append it anywhere in the DOM i.e. via .appendChild functions, does it still remain in memory? So would you have to do

function makeDomElement()
{
   var createdElement = document.createElement('textarea');
   delete createdElement;
}

I'm just curious :)