Recent Images on the Wiki--Moraea
Mary Sue Ittner (Wed, 14 Apr 2004 15:42:54 PDT)

Dear All,

Here are some pictures of Moraea flowers that have bloomed in the March and
April.

In the Moraea group I had blooming Moraea bipartita. This is a really nice
one that Lauw gave me twice. I've had trouble keeping it going and expect
there is something about my climate that isn't exactly what it wants. I
thought I had lost it again when I saw a stalk of blue-violet flowers
blooming near my deer fence late one day and went over to take a closer
look and was really happy to see it. I tried taking a picture of the stalk
of flowers since there were so many, but it didn't turn out as well as
looking down on the flowers. I'm not sure how it got there, but hope it
returns.

In the Gynandriris subgroup I added a picture of Moraea setifolia which has
been blooming really well this year. I used to grow this one in a two inch
pot and take it with me so I would see it bloom when it opened at 1 p.m.
How it managed to grow in that little pot is a mystery to me, but I didn't
know very much about growing bulbs at that point. Early afternoon you look
at this plant and may catch the sign of flowers to come, but it doesn't
look very inspiring, and then later you pass it and it is covered with
intricate small amazing flowers. Three different pots were in bloom one day
last week, but the picture I added was taken weeks ago. Last year we added
a close-up of the flower and this year my picture shows it branching with a
number of blooms.

I was finally able to get a picture of Moraea cedarmontana (also in the
Gynandriris subgroup.) I've had this one for a number of years, but often
miss it. It has small white flowers that don't open until very late in the
day and if you didn't see it was going to bloom that day and then remind
yourself to go look later, the next day is too late. That happened to me
when it bloomed the first time, but I was able to stay focused the second
time and kept moving it to the sun as different areas of my garden got
shaded and finally about 4 p.m. I got to see it. It is supposed to be
fragrant, but I couldn't smell anything.

Finally this year my Moraea marlothii finally bloomed. This one is in the
Homeria subgroup. I had grown it from seed and was trying to grow it in a
pot until I saw it in the ground at my friend Jana's and realized I needed
to plant it out. It has a very long and wide single leaf. I have one
picture of it in the garden and then put something behind it so I could
focus on the flower too. It is most unusual I think. I know Paul Tyerman
grows it in Australia.

You can access all these pictures through the Moraea wiki page, but you
will have to click on the Gynandriris and Homeria pages to see those pictures.

http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/…

Mary Sue

Mary Sue Ittner
California's North Coast
Wet mild winters with occasional frost
Dry mild summers