Babiana MM 22-299

Seed parent: Babiana blanda

Pollen parent: Unknown

MM 22-299a. Unfortunately, there was no tag on this seed pod, so I don't know what the pollen parent was. But it's interesting that this hybrid of a pink flower ended up mostly white.

Fritillaria striata

In 2019, Jane McGary shared seed of this species, which were provided to her by the Tejon Conservancy in southern California. In the past I have had very poor results growing Frits in pots. I think Fritillaria bulbs do not tolerate well the super-dry summer conditions in a pot. So I planted these seeds in one of my raised beds, and settled in to see what would happen. The plants teased me with single spoon-shaped leaves for six years, and then in spring 2026 I finally got some flowers. 

Better yet, two individuals bloomed, and I was able to cross them, so now I can raise more plants and share seeds with others. Thanks, Jane!

As you can see, the flowers are nodding bells the size of a fingertip, delicate and elegant. I like the fine striation inside the flowers, but you have to tip them up or do some gymnastics to see it.

Check it out: The three inner tepals have a very thin picotee edge on them, which the outer tepals lack.

This is a different individual, with fewer striations but tepals that flare more.

Moraea MM 20-367

Seed parent: MM 17-34a ((M. tripetala x calcicola) X neopavonia)

Pollen parent: MM 17-63b (atropunctata x (atropunctata x calcicola)) X (atropunctata x (atropunctata x calcicola))

MM 20-367a

Moraea MM 21-137

Seed parent: MM 13-33 (M. villosa F X C)

Pollen parent: MM 13-33 (villosa F X C)

Moraea MM 22-80

Seed parent: MM 18-57 (M. tripetala x bellendenii) X ((villosa x tulbaghensis grn) x villosa D)
Pollen parent: MM 18-151b (M. gigandra x villosa h) X (gigandra x villosa h)

This is one of my typical "I wonder what that would do" crosses. The seed parent is a pale yellowish hybrid that grows vigorously. The pollen parent is a very vivid purple flower with intense blue eyes. What should you expect when you cross yellow and purple? I dunno. In this case, we got some flowers with a purple blaze around the eye that fades toward the outer edge of the tepals. It's intriguing, and breeder Garry Knipe is encouraging me to try for more flowers with this color pattern. I think he has a point.

MM 22-80a. Fairly wide inner tepals.

MM 22-80b.  This shows the blaze very strongly, but the eye is not as good.

MM 22-80c. I like how the speckles extend all the way to the outer edge of the central cup (compare to cross a).

MM 22-80d

Moraea MM 22-79

Seed parent: MM 18-91c (M. bellendenii x aristata) X ((atropunctata x calcicola) x (villosa x tulbaghensis grn))
Pollen parent: Moraea insolens

I had high hopes for this one because the pollen parent is so rare and beautiful, but this is clearly a self-pollinated version of the seed parent. Oh well, it's nice to have a backup of that plant.

MM 22-79a

Moraea MM 22-78

Seed parent: MM 18-110a (M. bellendenii x aristata) X villosa O
Pollen parent: MM 16-53b (M. villosa B x (neopavonia x villosa weird)) X (villosa B x (neopavonia x villosa weird))

This is a cross between a yellow flower and a villosa hybrid that has some pale yellow in the tepals; I was hoping for a bright yellow flower with big colorful eyes. So far the result looks a lot like the seed parent. (Or this could be a self-pollinated cross; bellendenii hybrids sometimes do that).

MM 22-78a

MM 22-78b