MAD ABOUT MORAEAS

by Bob Werra


Information from a hand out Bob distributed to the IBSA symposium about his experiences with winter growing Moraeas in Ukiah, California. He gives the species he has grown a score of 0 to 4 for his opinion and experience on beauty, ease of growth, and whether they produce cormlets or seeds, followed by general comments about each. If there is no rating, it’s because he did not know. He has further divided the species into 3 groups: fugacious (short-lived flowers), nonfugacious, and peacock Moraeas.


The Fugacious group:

NAME

BEAUTY

EASE

CMLETS

SEEDS

COMMENTS

Moraea bipartita

3

3


4

Tall blue, multi flowers; easy

Moraea ciliata

3

3

4

1

Blue; pretty; many basal cormlets

Moraea crispa

3

3

0

0

Blue pinwheel; lasted 18 years

Moraea falcifolia

1

0



Tiniest; very difficult

Moraea fergusoniae

2

2


0

Blue; somewhat difficult

Moraea fugax

4

3

1

3

Large flowers, many colors: white, yellow, blue

Moraea gawleri

1

1


0

Difficult

Moraea gracilenta

3

2


1

Large lavender flowers, blooms p.m. 3 hrs.

Moraea lugubris

2

0


0

Interesting feathery blue blooms; very difficult

Moraea macrocarpa

2

2


3

Short wiry stem; moderately large blooms, many seeds

Moraea macronyx

4

4

3

0

Yellow & white; pretty; some cormlets

Moraea papilionacea

4

1

0

0

Many colors; difficult to keep going

Moraea polyanthos

3

4

2

4

Tall, evening multi flowers; very easy

Moraea polystachya

3

2


3

Very tall lavender; multi flowers; unpredictable

Moraea serpentina

4

3

3

1

Pretty yellow with spiral leaves

Moraea tortillis

4

2

0

1

Favorite; short, big blue bloom, corkscrew leaves; kept 10 years with no increase

Moraea tricolor

4

3

2

1

Short; large red & yellow flowers; few cormlets

Moraea vegeta

2

3

3

4

Short; tan; self pollinating

Moraea viscaria

4

4


4

Large white; sticky stem, blooms p.m. 3 hrs.

The Nonfugacious group:

NAME

BEAUTY

EASE

CMLETS

SEEDS

COMMENTS

Moraea algoensis

3

1


2

Med. sized, pretty lavender flowers

Moraea atropunctata

4

3

1

3

Large white flowers with black or blue spots

Moraea barnardii

4

2

0

2

Small; very beautiful white with blue lines

Moraea bellendini

3

2


3

Very tall, yellow with green

Moraea lurida

4

1



All colors; doesn't like hot dry?

Moraea thomasiae

3

3


2

Tall, yellow brown

Moraea tricuspidata

3

3


2

Medium white flowers; interesting

Moraea tripetala

3

4

4

4

Skinny lavender; attractive en masse

Moraea unguiculata

3

3


2

Small, white flowers

The Peacocks:

NAME

BEAUTY

EASE

CMLETS

SEEDS

COMMENTS

Moraea aristata

4

3

4

2

Large, white & blue flowers, very stoloniferous

Moraea caeca

4

1


1

Attractive, large lavender flowers; very difficult

Moraea calcicola

4

3

3

3

Large very attractive blue flowers, seeds well

Moraea gigandra

4

3

3

4

Largest, king of the peacocks; lavender & black

Moraea loubseri

3

3


3

Large purple with fuzzy black flowers

Moraea tulbaghensis

4

3


3

Beautiful orange with black, green, blue markings; seeds well; growing 10 + years

Moraea villosa

4

4

4

4

Many color combinations, queen of the peacocks


Source List:

Catalog of bulb, plant, seed sources: http://www.shieldsgardens.com/GLOVBulbs/SOURCES.html

United States:

Telos Rare Bulbs: http://www.telosrarebulbs.com

Jim Duggan Flower Nursery: http://www.thebulbman.com

France:

Bulb'Argence -- http://www.bulbargence.com

South Africa:

African Bulbs -- http://www.africanbulbs.com

Cape Seed and Bulbs -- http://www.capeseedandbulb.com

Gordon Summerfield < Summerfields@xsinet.co.za>

Silverhill Seeds -- http://www.silverhillseeds.co.za