Chris wrote: >> A capsule develops (sometimes to full size) but stops developing before the seed matures. I am wondering if this is common I'm not really an expert, but I have some experience, so let me speculate. In my experience it's not common for Calochortus to abort their seed pods like this when the bulbs are completely happy. I've seen Calochortus bulbs in pots abort their pods when the pot dries out a little early while the seeds are maturing (for example, I had that happen this season with one pot of C. argillosus that was in full sun). What seems to happen is that if the pot dries out too much while the seeds are developing, the bulbs immediately stop putting energy into the pods. They just stop growing. They'll dry out, but they never open and often the seeds inside are not mature when you open the pod. I'm just speculating here, but I wonder if maybe your soil is drying out too much during the seed maturation process. In nature, many Calochortus grow in the ground in decomposed serpentine that can be surprisingly water-retentive. I tried putting some of that soil in pots once, in an effort to grow some rare Calochortus species. The soil stayed completely goopy and waterlogged all winter, and then turned into a concrete-like substance in the summer. Even though your plants are in the ground, the adobe underneath them may be so deep that the plants can't reach it to draw on it as a water reservoir. So they're growing exclusively in the planting mix you created, and maybe that's drying out too fast. I grew up in LA, and I can imagine the full sun and low humidity sucking all the moisture out of your planting mix. You could try a couple of experiments if you want: --Create a different part of your planting bed with the adobe only about six inches below the surface, so the bulbs can reach into that for moisture. --Try watering one section of your growing area a few times as the seed pods are maturing. In my experience, Calochortus bulbs are not too vulnerable to rot from watering if they're still partially in growth. The time you really don't want to water them is when they're totally dried out and brown, even down to the stems. Two other possibilities to think about: In California there are many small beetles adapted to eating the pollen of Calochortus. They go along the anthers like they're ears of corn, and strip off all the pollen. I've had some plants stripped so thoroughly that they can't set seed. So you might want to try some hand pollination. The other question to ask is whether you're sure that you have genetically different individuals of each species. I find it harder (but not impossible) to get seeds from a single self-pollinated plant than from several individuals crossed together. If you got your bulbs from one of the mass market bulb companies, they might all be genetically identical clones. Hope this helps. Mike San Jose, CA