Moraea

[Paul T]

Ray,

Apologies for having duplicated.  I was just thinking of Iridaceae and thought of it being here.  I should have checked further, Sorry.

[Maggi Young]

No problem, Folks, the two topics are now merged and in Bulbs General. 

[Paul T]

Ray,

Somehow I had completely missed this topic before now, which is why I didn't realise to add to it.  Ray, you have some stunning Moraeas, more than half the varieties you show I don't grow.  That dark villosa in the first post, both the oranges, and that vivid tricolor are all amazing.  Some crackers of photos.  Beautiful!!  I am going to have to try to track down some of them..... where do you source yours (if you don't mind me asking)?

Maggi, thanks for merging these, if for no other reason than I got to see Ray's topic that I had somehow missed.    Obviously my senile dementia is getting even worse. 

[Anthony Darby]

WOW!! Does it live in Zone 8?

I think 'no' would be the answer. I have a friend about four miles from me who successfully grows M. huttonii against a south facing wall, with its roots under a paved path. I suspect this is the only species that could survive?

[mark smyth]

Margaret Glynn grows Moraea huttonii outside on the rockery

[Darren]

Most of the Drakensberg (summer growing species) should do OK unprotected in UK gardens. I grow huttonii and alticola outside in a sunny border. huttonii is evergreen even in hard winters like the last one. I wonder if anyone in the UK grows the lovely little blue flowered M.alpina? It should be hardy & it has been on seed exchange lists but both times I've had it it turned out to be the cape species M.debilis.

The Cape species are more frost tender and I grow them under glass but some of the lovely peacock types illustrated above flower very sparsely here - low light intensity? Those that do flower well are:  atropunctata, ciliata, debilis, vegeta, gawleri, loubseri (though this is prone to taking a year off) & bipartita.

As I said, the peacock types like aristata and villosa are very shy flowering with me - I really wish they weren't! Tulbaghensis and gigandra are in the same group but mine are not yet big enough to attempt flowering so I wonder if I will ever see the flowers even when they are...

[BULBISSIME]

Ray, I love this genus, and your pictures make me crazy !!!
Not very easy to find species in Europe, so I've some seedlings growing ....too slowly  and still waiting for flowers.
thank's for sharing this jewels

[Anthony Darby]

Maybe that's why Gynandriris sysirinchium is now a species of Moraea?

[Paul T]

Anthony,

I'll hopefully be uploading some pics today of Gynandriris pritzelliana, now Moraea pritzelliana (I think the species spelling is correct, but must check that one).  They are just like tiny Moraeas, so I can understand why they have gone into there.  If Moraea vegeta is a Moraea, then the Gynandriris are certainly very similar to that.

[Ray]

Some more Moraea's bye Ray

 Moraea fugax.jpg
 Moraea pritzeliana.jpg.... edit by maggi: see next page for discussion re naming of these!
 Moraea setifolia.jpg   

[Paul T]

Anthony,

And now there is no need to upload the pritzeliana as Ray has already done so.  Nor the setifolia for that matter. 

As the saying goes.... you snooze, you lose.  I didn't get them uploaded this afternoon. 

Great pics, Ray.

[dominique]

Ray
Thank you. Absolutely nice and fine plants
Dom

[Susan Band]

Lots more lovely things to add to next years Silverhills list  They have most moreas down as hardyness 8, worth a try here.
Susan

[Ragged Robin]

Some more Moraea's bye Ray

Ray, these are just delicious - the colours, the spottiness, so, so, cool 

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Ray,
I particularly like your pale yellow M. fugax and that nicely spotted M pritzeliana!
cheers
fermi