Brown flowers

[Rogan]

I came across this unusual brown Gladiolus species in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands recently. I think it is G. woodii.

The cluster of flowers nods at the end of a long skinny stalk and is incredibly difficult to photograph - even the slightest breeze makes it dance around madly.

[daveyp1970]

 Rogan that is incredible,lovely thing,its not a species i have seen before more Glady photos PLEASE and you will make me a very happy chappy.

[cohan]

very nice! i like brown flowers (and brown plants, for that matter..)
i can relate to the difficulty of this sort of photograph (thalictrum for example..) thanks for taking the trouble...

[Gail]

A couple of brown flowers that I've loved and lost.

It's a very poor pic but Gladiolus liliaceus is a fascinating plant because the flowers are brownish during the day and turn to lilac in the evening, unfortuantely I can't find a pic of it in lilac mode and the colour is not right - the wall behind is a dark terracotta colour and the flower was very similar.

Second pic is Tigridia vanhouttei, grown from AGS seed.  Tigridias are fast from seed, usually flowering in second year but sometimes the first year.

[Lesley Cox]

Perhaps brown is the rarest colour in flowers except, maybe, grey. Both are present in various irises both species and hybrids and these are always of a special fascination for me. I remember an intermediate bearded iris I once had, called 'Brown Doll,' a true brown, not reddish or orangey, just brown. Can't locate it nowadays.