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.

Moraea MM 22-155

Seed parent: GK 1912a (parents unknown)
Pollen parent: MM 19-99b ((M. atropunctata x calcicola) x tripetala pale) X (tulbaghensis blue x villosa h)

This is a cross between two spotted flowers, one purple and the other a weird deep grape jelly color with hints of orange. I like the uniform spot density of form b, even though its color scheme is a bit odd.

MM 22-155a

MM 22-155b

MM 22-155c

Moraea MM 22-153

Seed parent: Moraea atropunctata
Pollen parent: Moraea 'Zoe' original

This is a cross of two very spotted flowers, and the result is spotted, as expected. I am hoping to use these for further breeding, but so far they seem to be relatively infertile. I will keep trying. For a similar cross that has been very successful as a parent, see MM 12-139.

MM 22-153a

MM 22-153b. The eye is a bit bluer than the others, and I used a flashlight to give you a clearer view.

MM 22-153c

MM 22-153d. Nice dense dots; too bad the flower was starting to close when I photographed it.

Moraea MM 22-152

Seed parent: Moraea atropunctata
Pollen parent: Moraea insolens

MM 22-152a. This is a very attractive flower with brilliant colors. The markings look a lot like insolens, except for the dots on the backs of the tepals, which are pure atropunctata.

Moraea MM 22-150

Seed parent: GK 1903a (parents unknown)
Pollen parent: MM 19-45b ((M. villosa x tulbaghensis grn) x villosa D) X ((villosa x tulbaghensis grn) x villosa D)

MM 22-150a. It doesn't have the impressive markings of the pollen parent, but the colors are nice.

Moraea MM 22-148

Seed parent: MM 19-64a (((M. atropunctata x calcicola) x (atropunctata x calcicola)) x neopavonia 'Summerfield' old) X ((aristata x gigandra) x (villosa A x tulbaghensis blue))
Pollen parent: MM 19-70a (M. lurida x villosa F) X (((atropunctata x calcicola) x (atropunctata x calcicola)) x neopavonia 'Summerfield' old)

MM 22-148a

Moraea MM 22-147

Seed parent: MM 19-60a ('Zoe' sibling x M. atropunctata) X ((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)

MM 22-147a

Moraea MM 22-144

Seed parent: Moraea gigandra
Pollen parent: Moraea insolens

Oh, boy, this was my favorite new hybrid of 2026. These flowers are mostly orange, which is what usually happens when I cross a purple species with an orange one. But there is a subtle purple wash over parts of the flower, and in form B you can see a white aura around what I guess I should call the eye. These flowers appear to be fertile, and I can't wait to see what their next generation will look like.

MM 22-144a

MM 22-144b

Moraea MM 22-129

Seed parent: Moraea villosa O
Pollen parent: MM 18-265a ('Zoe' sibling x M. atropunctata) X villosa O

MM 22-129a

Moraea MM 22-128

Seed parent: MM 19-22a (((M. atropunctata? x neopavonia) x villosa wt/blue-green) x neopavonia) X unknown
Pollen parent: MM 18-234a (M. bellendenii x (gigandra x (atropunctata? x neopavonia))) X ((villosa x tulbaghensis grn) x (villosa x tulbaghensis grn))

Another yellow X brick red cross, hoping for brighter red. I think I've proven to myself that this approach doesn't work.

MM 22-128a. Not the color I wanted, but it's a handsome flower.

Moraea MM 22-117

Seed parent: MM 18-276a (M. gigandra x neopavonia) X (((atropunctata x calcicola) x (atropunctata x calcicola)) x neopavonia 'Summerfield' old)
Pollen parent: MM 19-15a ('Zoe' original x M. neopavonia 'Summerfield') X villosa O

A very nice orange flower crossed with an extremely rich purple one.

MM 22-117a. Not impressive.

Moraea MM 22-116

Seed parent: MM 18-259a (M. tripetala x neopavonia 'Summerfield') X ((villosa x tulbaghensis grn) x villosa D)
Pollen parent: GK 1699 MX_46 (parents unknown)

A cross between a light orange flower and a light purple one.

MM 22-116a

Moraea MM 22-105

Seed parent: MM 18-234a (M. bellendenii x (gigandra x (atropunctata? x neopavonia))) X ((villosa x tulbaghensis grn) x (villosa x tulbaghensis grn))
Pollen parent: GK 1699 MX_8 (parents unknown)

MM 22-105a. A brick red flower and a yellow flower produced a cream flower. Not bad, but I was hoping for bright red.

Moraea MM 22-103

Seed parent: MM 18-240a (((M. atropunctata x calcicola) x gigandra) x (villosa x tulbaghensis grn)) X (tulbaghensis blue x villosa h)
Pollen parent: MM 18-234a (M. bellendenii x (gigandra x (atropunctata? x neopavonia))) X ((villosa x tulbaghensis grn) x (villosa x tulbaghensis grn))

This is a cross between a pinky flower and a brick red one. The result was pinky flowers.

MM 22-103a

MM 22-103b

MM 22-103c

Moraea MM 22-101

Seed parent: MM 18-223a (M. atropunctata x (((atropunctata? x neopavonia) x villosa wt/blue-green) x (atropunctata? x neopavonia))) X villosa O
Pollen parent: MM 17-10a (M. tripetala x calcicola) X ('Zoe' sibling x atropunctata)

I was hoping to get spots on a flower with the villosa o color scheme. No luck so far.

MM 22-101a. This one looks like it might be a bellendenii cross that washed into this part of the bed.

MM 22-101b

MM 22-101c

Moraea MM 22-100

Seed parent: MM 18-333c ((M. villosa x tulbaghensis grn) x villosa D) X (tulbaghensis dark eye x villosa h)
Pollen parent: MM 15-89b (M. villosa x tulbaghensis grn) X villosa A+

It's too bad these flowers are so deeply cupped, because the colors are beautiful.

MM 22-100a

MM 22-100b