It is very unusual for a seedling of papilio to exhibit so much of the other parent in the first generation, Red lion does often prove dominant in crosses with other hybrids.

So, it sounds like you'll have a whole family of this hybrid. Maybe you should give it a name so when you share with friends and family it won't get lost as a no-named hybrid. You don't have to register it, just name it.

Some of us still use Miracle Grow at least in the winter at low strength. You've had great success so why mess with success? I'd continue to do just what you've been doing!

Your bloom reminds me of the fairly new hybrid Party or (Pajama Party). The color is similar although the flower has a different shape.

Be sure to share the flowers on the second scape when they open, we'd all like to see those too!!

Donna☺☺

npublici - after reading your comment I started wondering if I had made a mistake. But I remember removing the anthers on 'Red Lion' and using saved pollen from the fading papilio to pollinate the four flowers on 'Red Lion' hoping that the pollen was still viable (only one pod developed). The short window makes it hard to get the two parents to bloom at the same time for some of you hybridizers I bet. The plant does show characteristics of both - from the papilio parent: evergreen leaves, some striping of the petals, lateral compression and two flowers per scape; and from 'Red Lion': a flatter flower than papilio, the color of course, a taller scape and the withering of a few of the older leaves with bloom. Whew, I'm not losing my mind. Maybe using the 'Red Lion' as the seed parent makes a difference, but not much of a sample size given one seedling.

You get more of a sense of the lateral compression in this photo of the second flower, although it is only slight.

And the mostly evergreen leaves you see here (you can just see the second scape emerging from the bottom, left of the first).

Donna - I'm thinking New Mexico Sunset, or Indian Blanket (it reminds me of a Pendleton like this one http://www.pendleton-usa.com/product/Blankets-Throws/Blankets/NATIVE-AMERICAN-INSPIRED/EVENING-STAR-HERITAGE-BLANKET/169475/sc/1694/c/1821/pc/2178.uts). Thanks for the suggestion.

Then again (backyard photo):

So sorry I'm a bit late in congratulating and thanking for the photos of this spectacular seedling. It is just marvellous! And with mouthwatering colors.

Oooh I like both those names!!! Either one perfectly describes the color of your baby. Let us know which one you choose :-)))

Noseometer,

To my eyes, I think that all of your latest photos clearly indicate papilio's genes, apparent to me in the shape of your flower so don't second guess yourself, you didn't make a mistake I'm sure!! There is such a thing as beginner's luck!!

Mexican Sunset (if it isn't already taken) is a very appropriate and lovely name as well as Indian Blanket!! You could always add your name first (not noseometer's Mexican Sunset but what ever your name is... I'm sure your parents bestowed you with a better name!! ;-)

Your sunset photo is beautiful, I can pick out the color of your flower....

Now in the photo of your pot full of leaves with your bulb, are there other seedling bulbs from this cross or has this bulb offset like crazy and they will all be the same?

Donna☺☺

I wasn't expressing doubt of your cross,just that it is unusual for papilio to not be dominant in the f1. Red lion is a very dominant red/orange and usually overtakes crosses with other hybrids,most of the f1 hybvrids being the color of red lion.Your cross is even more.unusual,in that the tetraploid is the female parent That is harder to do than the reverse.

dondeldux - my sister suggested Painted Desert, whose colors are appropriate, but the wrong state (Arizona vs. New Mexico), but still an evocative name. This bulb made 7 offsets last summer as it changed from a pickling onion to a slicer. I assumed that this was just a characteristic of papilio.

npublici - how COOL is that?!! What are the chances that I would be that lucky? I didn't take your comment as doubt, I just started doubting my memory! ;-0 Thanks for your input. So great to hear this kind of technical information.

Update: 'Painted Desert' has become huge.

Four stems this year. Not great form in the flowers, but a fun cross.

Wow ! You have to give them a wider pot. Greetings noseometer ! Are you the father of many children)))!

Your Painted Desert has become a monster plant (in a good way)!! If those are all offsets, You night want to give a few away to your friends so if a disaster befalls your pot, you won't loose this lovely child! The color is great and the form is better on some flowers but the overall presentation due to the vivid color is a winner. Congratulations, I'd be happy to have come up with this one for sure!! And, yes, she might need a larger pot but at least you have it in a very deep one that she appears to love, gives her roots lots of wiggle room!

How many flowers am I counting on the two stalks I can see? It appears to

be at least 4, maybe five on one of them??

Donna

Beautiful! Bravo!!! H. papilio has such strong genes that it's F1 seedlings inherit it's beauty no matter who the other parent is.

Hi noseometer!

Your 'Painted Desert' is amazing and lush. Great growing!

Congratulation to that beautiful cross, Noseometer! I really enjoy looking at the results of all the crosses! And you even get four flowers per scape, do you? You really did great in growing you Painted Desert! Thank you for sharing it with us!

Your Painted Desert is gorgeous! Congratulations as it gets prettier each year. Are you building a separate house for her? Lol - Jody

Thank you for showing ! I really love the colors , and never saw a so big hippeastrum ,those leaves are so long ! Bravo

Thank you all! I've been amazed that it has gotten so big. My friends and family have no appreciation for it, so I'm glad you all do. I wish I had room and time to grow more crosses.

Donna and cats, there is one scape yet to bloom, one with two flowers, one with three, and one with four. There are eight offsets, but only one is blooming. I guess they all need to get...bigger?!

It is beautiful! That's what I love about this forum. Other's "get it"! Our friends and family may see a pretty flower, but our forum friends see strong papilio genes and strong red influence from Red Lion. I must get a Red Lion and try this myself. Thank you for sharing and inspiring!

Wow this cross is amazing! So beautiful - makes me want to make my own crosses, but the 3-4 year timeframe is daunting!

Well, most of our families just tolerate our hobby (some are enthusiastic though) so we all meet here to talk with others who share the same passion. We are from all over the world and all walks of life so don't be a stranger to our little group.

If you do end up with too many of these bulbs perhaps you'd sell them on EBay? If I saw this on EBay, I would surely buy one!!!

Donna

JL, maybe it will encourage you to try some crosses if you knew that this cross went from seed to first bloom in 2 years? Maybe that's not normal, but it can happen.

And Donna if you saw this, you would have to alert me so that I also could get this beauty!

Noseometer - lol I think the difference might be that you are in NM and I am in very cold MA :-)

I did have a question for those that read this - I accidentally selfed flamenco queen and I have two seed pods that seem to be growing well. If they do mature - should I bother to float the seeds? Do selfed flowers grow true to the parent?

joy

Noseometer,

Have you tried selfing these flowers? I just drool thinking of the different combinations of red and papilio expressions that could come out of this beauty.

You should be very pleased, your flower has a fan club!

Joy, I think selfed seeds can be some of the most exciting. They don't always look so very similar to the parent, but sometimes they do, and I have seen some photos where the seeded seedling was in my opinion, even more beautiful than the parent. I have also seen photos where the self d seedling was a completely unexpected color and very unlike the parent in patterning. If you decide you don't want to float them, I certainly love the spotted flowers and I would try some. I am sure I will have seeds that might interest you.

Joy,

Congratulations, you're likely to end up with over 100 seeds if they take!!! They won't grow exactly true to the parent but Flamenco Queen is such a lovely variety that I wouldn't hesitate to float a few of the seeds and try your hand at raising seedlings!! They could be as nice as the parent or slightly different and lovely in a different way!! Flamenco Queen's genes have a lot to offer!!

Donna

Thank you for the feedback everyone! I wasn’t sure because so many of the crosses I see on here sound like such great experiments with different parents that a self sounded kind of silly.

i will let the pods grow and see what comes out of it! I’m definitely happy to share seeds Lokai - still a ways away from the pods maturing as they are still green (but growing).

Anja, I absolutely forgot that they might take more easily if they are in fact diploid. Thanks!!! They have leaves now but no scapes.... I am hoping after a cool spring scapes will form.

Donna and Lokai, I agree with you, it would be necessary to spread this beauty when it will be cramped in its pot.

I do not have a Red Lion, because I find that these flowers too perfect and massive lack of charm, but here .... again .... I am surprised and upset by his descent .... a little of papilio and hop! it is magic.

In addition noseometer gives him all the space to express his excess !!!

It's a cross to try :-))

Beatrice, I have some frozen pollen of a dark red trumpet that I suspect to be diploid. Anja was able to use the pollen successfully for seeds last season when it was fresh.

You will most likely have some papilio or papilio hybrids bloom before I do. I can send you some pollen if you would like to try.

oh , Joey , good idea !! But does yours have 4 flowers / scape I only see 2 on the picture ? You remind me I have one similar but mines has only 2 flowers too ...could it be the same ? I bought mine from a US nursery under the name X Ackermanii , that wasn't a correct ID , I bought 4 , and I got 4 flowers different !!!

mine :

here's another one I like even if it has only 2 flowers

Oooh, I do like this last one....lovely color with that amazing picotee, you'll just have to grow a whole pot of them and then you'll have enough flowers. Hopefully, they will offset well for you!

Hi Beatrice, the first scape had 3 flowers and the second had 2, but the bulbs were smallish on these at the time.

I hope for more flowers next blooming. I absolutely love your two!

The red has such interesting shape. The picotee has a wildness about it that I also like.

Yes Béatrice, that last one is really special! Do I even see a red throat? I would be happy with such a mislabel :-)))

I agree Beatrice, that last one is gorgeous! Do you have any more pictures off it? Jody

yes , here are more pictures Jody , and Anja , you will see the throat . I called it 'Miss Agathe' , one of my cats as I want to keep it. Those are pictures from last year , it is still dormant now.

it has offsets and I hope I will multiply it successfuly.

Joey , like you this is the wild aspect that I like in this flower even if it is absolutely not perfect !!!

Donna , this is what I am trying to do , offset the number of flowers per stem by the number of stems! because it is very floriferous. if I get a beautifull global bloom this year I will post a picture.

And thank you to my friend , that helped me getting this one and so many other ones ;-)

Hi Beatrice,

They are absolutely beautiful and the well defined dark red eye makes it stand out even more. Congratulations on this beauty :-))))

Gorgeous! Are they fragrant? They somehow look as if... Thank you for posting this beauty!

They are gorgeous! If they were on Ebay, there would be a bidding war. I would say, grow them well, but who am I talking to? That's a given.

no , not fragrant !

hi Beatrice - both those are gorgeous blooms. Love the shape, color and throat on Ms Agathe but the other red is very striking as well!

Beatrice, this is just so beautiful!

That is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen! I love it.

Thank you , really don't know what could be the parents !!!

Agapanthe, those are very beautiful, delicate looking.

Someone asked for a photo of the last scape of Painted Desert blooming. Here you go. You can really see the papilio in this one. Four flowers to the scape.

I haven't tried selfing it. I don't have room for more plants!

Wow!!! You can really see the beautiful range of colors and markings on this bloom. I would definitely keep her away from your planticidal family :-)))

I , like so many here, adore this. Love the color and points of yellowish cream. If you were successful in selfing for seed. I am sure that you wouldn't have to plant any yourself. I am sure many who posted their admiration for this beauty would try growing her from seed. Thanks for inspiring!

hi Noseometer - that last pic is breathtaking! The colors, the shape - everything! It must bring you so much joy to see these!

Noseometer , all these shades of color are so beautiful, this flower is really unique :-)

Noseometer, Painted Desert is so pretty! Thay lovely saturated purplish-red is such a fantastic color.

And Agapanthe64, your "Miss Aganthe" is so beautiful! :)