South African bulbose plants 2009

[Michael J Campbell]

I have a few other Hybs, from my own crosses but can't find the pics now.  Alzheimer's ? 

[fermi de Sousa]

I have a few other Hybs, from my own crosses but can't find the pics now.  Alzheimer's ? 

It happens to the best of us!
I love that hybrid you've made - but I find them all attractive!

Speaking of SA Bulbs, the autumn ones are starting with us, amaryllis and crossyne! Hopefully I'll get some pics later this week.
cheers
fermi

[Hristo]

Michael,I have the white form and a few others, here are some pics.
Freesia laxa hyb own cross
 Anomatheca = Freesia laxa subsp. azurea
 freesia laxa 1
 Freesia laxa Joan Evans
 Freesia laxa white 2
 

Michael,
Those are some super colour forms, if you are ever interested in swapping for other plants please let me know!
Hristo

[Rafa]

Histrio, F. viridis have the same behaviour to me, exceptional seed production, high percentage of germination and almost blooming first year.
I suppose this could be very interesting for breeders, giving green character

[Hristo]

Raffa,
Indeed, it would be interesting to see how much of the form as well as colour would appear in any hybrid offspring.

[Lesley Cox]

Rafa,
I've been growing this specieis as Anomatheca for several years and was surprised when it was moved to Freesia!
I find this grows to flowering size very quickly from the prodigious seed set it makes, have you found this also?

I prefer the old name as it is so unlike our concept of a freesia. But it does have a delicious perfume.

[Ezeiza]

Hi:

    F. viridis has been crossed with F. laxa, producing very good hybrids.

    Lesley, it is fascinating that they are all Freesias "deformed" to adapt to their pollinators.

[Hristo]

Ezeiza,
Could you provide a URL to a site with pics of these hybrids, would love to see them!

[Michael]

Lesley, it is fascinating that they are all Freesias "deformed" to adapt to their pollinators.

The more deformations there are, the better! ^^

[Ezeiza]

Hi Hristo:

             I will request an image, they were all dark red variants. Vigorus and quite large flowered. It would be great to reproduce this cross again and again.

Alberto.

[Jim McKenney]

Here is Freesia viridis blooming today in my protected cold frame today. This cold frame receives no supplemental heating (it's a cold frame!) but it is placed against the house foundation and no doubt gets heat which seeps from the house. A wide range of plants grows well in this frame - while surrounding air temperatures drop to -16 degrees briefly.

[Hristo]

Jim,
That's a good demonstration of the fact some of these SA bulbs are tougher than we might expect.
In the open garden here - G.tristis, A/F.laxa, G.papillio, R.tetragona.

[Rogan]

My Freesia grandiflora from last season - memorable flowers! It has always intrigued me that this species and F. laxa grow naturally in the summer-rainfall (eastern) regions of SA, but seem to be happier treated as winter-growers (...or is it just me?  ).

[Hristo]

Rogan , very nice looking Freesia grandiflora,
Flowering here on my bedroom windowsill;
Homeria collina and Gladiolus tristis

[Rogan]

Chris, seeing your photo of Gladiolus tristis reminds me of my property in the south-western Cape where G. tristis and other closely related species grow and flower in profusion in seasonally damp areas beside the roads. G. liliaceus (below) is also common in the area and has the intriguing habit of changing colour to a bluish-mauve in the evening and becoming scented!