Pollen parent: Gladiolus unknown
This hybrid has a couple of unknown ancestors, which implies to me that the flowers may be self-fertile, since I grow them in screenhouses that keep out most insects.
I say "most" because this particular flower was attacked by something, probably a cutworm. I've learned the hard way that cutworms get into my beds despite my best efforts, and if I'm not on the lookout they will eat the flowering stems of my Glads down to stubs. In this case I spotted the damage when I had half of one bud left. The stripes look promising, but I'll have to wait until next year to see the full flower.
Spraying the bed once a year with an insecticide keeps down the worms, and since the beds are enclosed I don't have to worry about accidently killing beneficial insects. But I often forget to spray at the right time.
MM 21-47a
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