Hi, gang.
I've been breeding Moraea hybrids in earnest for a bit more than a decade, and I'm continuing to be impressed by the diversity of colors and patterns in the hybrids. I want to share my favorite new hybrids from spring 2022 (this also gives me a chance to test out the image enclosure feature in the shiny new forum software; it would have been very difficult to create this post in the email forum). Hope you'll enjoy it...
MM 19-132a.
In my relentless pursuit of a pure red Moraea hybrid, I haven't yet had total success, but I'm starting to get a few pinky-raspberry colored flowers that I really like. This one is especially nice because of the interesting rough markings around the edge of the eye.
MM 19-26b.
A nice orange color contrasted with very intense blue spots. It looks as if a fountain pen exploded.
MM 19-26d.
Believe it or not, this is a sibling of the spotted flower above. There are no spots on this flower, but the color pattern on it is so precise and intricate that it's kind of hypnotic.
MM 18-193a.
I have a several hybrids that have purple streaks on the tepals, but this is the first with orange streaks. They're faint, but it's an interesting start.
MM 18-264b.
This is a hybrid with the Piketberg form of Moraea villosa
, which I call villosa form O. The species has vivid blue eyes, but in this hybrid the eyes are an icy blue-white color. It really stands out when you see it in person. Unfortunately, this plant did not set seeds, and I think it may be sterile.
MM 18-333c.
I've been gradually getting more hybrids with a smoky multicolored ring around the eye. This is a nice example....
MM 19-45b.
...as is this one.
MM 19-15a.
Often my camera tries to make colors look more intense than they are in real life, but this flower really did look a lot like this when it opened.
MM 18-136b.
I like the richness of the colors in this one.
MM 19-70a.
This is another vivid one. There's Moraea lurida
in its ancestry, which turned the eyes black and made the inner tepals dark maroon.
MM 19-99a.
The outer parts of the flower are the color of grape jelly, while the inner parts are pale orange. There's strange speckling in between. This one's more weird than beautiful, but I kinda' like weird.
MM 18-78a.
The bright yellow eye edged in very dark blue is extremely unusual. This hybrid involves Moraea bellendenii
, which does strange things to the eyes of hybrids.
If you want to learn more, you can check out my blog. There are photos of the ~100 new crosses that bloomed this year, plus photos and info from previous years.
I am not a professional breeder, and am intensely interested in any feedback or suggestions you have on my breeding program.
By the way, I set aside some seeds from this year's hybrids and plan to send them to the US PBS exchange when it reopens. So if you'd like to try some of these plants, this is a great time to become a paying PBS member.
Mike
San Jose, CA
I've been breeding Moraea hybrids in earnest for a bit more than a decade, and I'm continuing to be impressed by the diversity of colors and patterns in the hybrids. I want to share my favorite new hybrids from spring 2022 (this also gives me a chance to test out the image enclosure feature in the shiny new forum software; it would have been very difficult to create this post in the email forum). Hope you'll enjoy it...
MM 19-132a.
MM 19-26b.
MM 19-26d.
MM 18-193a.
MM 18-264b.
MM 18-333c.
MM 19-45b.
MM 19-15a.
MM 18-136b.
MM 19-70a.
MM 19-99a.
MM 18-78a.
If you want to learn more, you can check out my blog. There are photos of the ~100 new crosses that bloomed this year, plus photos and info from previous years.
I am not a professional breeder, and am intensely interested in any feedback or suggestions you have on my breeding program.
By the way, I set aside some seeds from this year's hybrids and plan to send them to the US PBS exchange when it reopens. So if you'd like to try some of these plants, this is a great time to become a paying PBS member.
Mike
San Jose, CA