Moraea GK 1977

Seed parent: MM 15-80b (M. atropunctata x calcicola) X neopavonia 'Summerfield'

Pollen parent: MM 16-85a (aristata x gigandra) X (villosa a x tulbaghensis)

GK 1977_1

Photo by Garry Knipe

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 2023

Seed parent: unknown
Pollen parent: unknown

Occasionally I'll get a flower that clearly isn't what it was labeled as, but I have no idea what its parentage could actually be. So I just slap a year and a letter on it. That's what happened with this unusual Moraea hybrid, which has a weird dark greenish eye.

I stare at it and try to think where its characteristics came from. The dark central cup reminds me of M. gigandra, and the spots are a bit like M. atropunctata. There's a slight purplish color in the outer tepals, and the pointy inner tepals are uniformly dark, which is a bit unusual. I have no idea where that came from...

MM 2023a

Moraea MM 22-158

Seed parent: MM 19-138a ((M. aristata x villosa) x atropunctata) X ((villosa x tulbaghensis grn) x (villosa x tulbaghensis grn))
Pollen parent: MM 19-132a (((atropunctata x calcicola) x gigandra) x (villosa x tulbaghensis)) X unknown)

MM 22-158a

MM 22-158b. Nice bright eyes.

MM 22-158c (was a). I like the bright eye contrasted with the very dark rim and the very clean yellow-orange central cup. The more I look at it, the more I like this flower.