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 22-238

Seed parent: MM 18-106a (M. lurida x villosa H) X (villosa (row 5 middle) x (atropunctata? x neopavonia))
Pollen parent: MM 19-132a Unknown X (((atropunctata x calcicola) x gigandra) X (villosa x tulbaghensis))

Wow, this is a neat flower!

MM 22-238a

Moraea MM 22-233

Seed parent: MM 09-02d M. aristata X villosa
Pollen parent: Moraea atropunctata

MM 22-233a. This doesn't look at all like either parent, so I am suspicious.

Moraea MM 22-232

Seed parent: MM 18-09a M. bellendenii X ((aristata x (atropunctata? x neopavonia)) x ((atropunctata? x neopavonia) x (aristata x (atropunctata? x neopavonia))))
Pollen parent: MM 19-17a ('Zoe' original x M. neopavonia 'Summerfield') X ('Zoe' original x neopavonia 'Summerfield')

I strongly doubt these are identified right. They appear to be a hybrid involving M. villosa form o.

MM 22-232a

Moraea MM 22-231

Seed parent: MM 18-18c ((M. aristata x villosa blue-green) x bellendenii) X (tulbaghensis blue x villosa h)
Pollen parent: MM 18-334b ((M. villosa x tulbaghensis grn) x villosa D) X ((villosa x tulbaghensis grn) x villosa D)

MM 22-231a

Moraea MM 22-230

Seed parent: MM 18-24a M. tricuspidata X (gigandra x villosa h)
Pollen parent: MM 18-78a M. debilis X polystachya

MM 22-230a

Moraea MM 22-218

Seed parent: MM 16-85a (M. aristata x gigandra) X (villosa A x tulbaghensis blue)
Pollen parent: MM 18-322a (M. tripetala x villosa h) X ((aristata x villosa) x neopavonia sunrise)

I crossed my two biggest hybrids, hoping for really big flowers. But these are pretty typical.

MM 22-218a

MM 22-218b

Moraea MM 22-215

Seed parent: MM 16-64b ((M. atropunctata? x neopavonia) x (atropunctata x calcicola)) X (villosa B x (neopavonia x villosa weird))
Pollen parent: MM 14-146e (M. villosa x tulbaghensis grn) X villosa D

MM 22-215a

Moraea MM 22-212

Seed parent: MM 17-10c (M. tripetala x calcicola) X ('Zoe' sibling x atropunctata)
Pollen parent: Moraea tulbaghensis A

As usual, a cross of a pure orange flower with a purple one created orange-ish flowers. The next generation should be more interesting.

MM 22-212a

MM 22-212b

MM 22-212c

Moraea MM 22-209

Seed parent: GK 1501a (parents unknown)
Pollen parent: MM 18-18b ((M. aristata x villosa blue-green) x bellendenii) X (tulbaghensis blue x villosa h)

MM 22-209a (was x)

Moraea MM 22-207

Seed parent: MM 13-41 M. villosa B X villosa h
Pollen parent: MM 13-41a M. villosa B X villosa h

MM 22-207a. This is a nice clean M. villosa selection. It doesn't have the special eyes of the pollen parent.

Moraea MM 22-204

Seed parent: MM 14-146h (M. villosa x tulbaghensis grn) X villosa D
Pollen parent: MM 19-132a Moraea unkown X (((atropunctata x calcicola) x gigandra) X (villosa x tulbaghensis))

MM 22-204a

Moraea MM 22-203

Seed parent: MM 17-11a (M. tulbaghensis dark eye x (villosa x tulbaghensis grn)) X unknown
Pollen parent: MM 18-322a (M. tripetala x villosa h) X ((aristata x villosa) x neopavonia sunrise)

This is a cross between a bright orange-yellow flower and a very large one.

MM 22-203a

MM 22-203b

MM 22-203c

Moraea MM 22-202

Seed parent: MM 17-10a (M. tripetala x calcicola) X ('Zoe' sibling x atropunctata)
Pollen parent: Moraea insolens

This is definitely not an insolens hybrid. I don't know what happened.

MM 22-202a

MM 22-202c

Moraea MM 22-192

Seed parent: Moraea villosa B
Pollen parent: MM 14-153c M. villosa H X tulbaghensis yellow eye

I was hoping for a reddish flower with wide tepals. Oh well.

MM 22-192a

Moraea MM 22-189

Seed parent: MM 14-146e (M. villosa x tulbaghensis grn) X villosa D
Pollen parent: MM 13-89a (M. villosa x tulbaghensis grn) X villosa D

Another cross where I was hoping for reddish but got mostly orange.

MM 22-189a

MM 22-189b (includes d) (in case you're wondering what the "includes" means, I originally had this classified as two separate flowers, and may have made crosses under both a and d)

MM 22-189c

Moraea MM 22-188

Seed parent: MM 14-153c M. villosa H X tulbaghensis yellow eye
Pollen parent: MM 13-89g (M. villosa x tulbaghensis grn) X villosa D

This is a cross between two mauve-colored flowers. I like the vibrancy of it.

MM 22-188a

Moraea MM 22-179

Seed parent: MM 19-45a ((M. villosa x tulbaghensis grn) x villosa D) X ((villosa x tulbaghensis grn) x villosa D)
Pollen parent: MM 19-132a Moraea unknown X (((atropunctata x calcicola) x gigandra) X (villosa x tulbaghensis))

MM 22-179a. Wow, fantastic light blue eyes!

Moraea MM 22-176

Seed parent: MM 19-106a ((M. villosa x tulbaghensis grn) x villosa D) X gK MX_21
Pollen parent: MM 18-234a (M. bellendenii x (gigandra x (atropunctata? x neopavonia))) X ((villosa x tulbaghensis grn) x (villosa x tulbaghensis grn))

Two reddish flowers produced mauve offspring. Bummer.

MM 22-176a

I am pretty sure this is form a with better lighting...

MM 22-176b

Moraea MM 22-173

Seed parent: MM 18-334a ((M. villosa x tulbaghensis grn) x villosa D) X ((villosa x tulbaghensis grn) x villosa D)
Pollen parent: MM 19-132a (Moraea unknown) X (((atropunctata x calcicola) x gigandra) x (villosa x tulbaghensis))

MM 22-173a. Very interesting.