Wow that so tall

Hi Donna,

What a beautiful color and boy is it tall..did it eat your other hippies to get that big :-)))

Warm Regards,

Fred

It's actually still growing folks, or I measured it incorrectly...it's now 25" not counting the bud....Luckily it's well rooted so it shouldn't tip over in the pot when it blooms! I guess it's a good thing we have high ceilings in this room!!☺☺☺

That is tall. Donna you are gonna have to stand on something to get photos. I hope yours matches the photo. It's very pretty. I can't wait to see it.

Louana

Wow, that is tall - I'm surprised it doesn't fall over and break off - It looks like it is going to be beautiful if it is true to name - good luck :o) Dan

Just an update folks. she has 4 buds which will be nice and she hasn't really grown any more in length! Won't be too long now and I'm pleased that I can see some good color in the buds as many of Komoriya's photos are much darker than reality. Her stalk stays as straight as an arrow, I just turn it once a day and it only leans barely an inch towards the light each time. Donna☺☺

Looking good Donna. Keep us posted on the progress.

Maida

How exciting!

wow! very nice...so tall. I can't wait to see the flowers :)

Hi Donna,

I'm so excited for you and I hope it's true to form. Please post more pictures!!!!

Warm Regards,

Fred

Tic tac tic tac

Oh Donna, looks like it might be true to its picture!!! That would be so nice!! -J

Very nice, congrats!!!

First time flowering, four blossoms, and true to name = a winner!

Cheers!

Donna,

That is absolutely gorgeous and spot on!!!!! I'm sooo happy you got what you paid for :-))) Now just think of all the possible things you can cross with it!!!

Warm Regards,

Fred

very nice Donna. Now you get to put papilio pollen on it to make it complete.

Maida

Thanks everyone!!☺☺ I was thinking of doing one with papilio and maybe another with Exotic Star(?) Does anyone think I should bother to self one. I don't have too much in the way of fresh pollen to play with but I've still got loads in the freezer from last year. Of course I don't know if she will set buds but if she should she is well rooted and the bulb is still very firm. Should I try Evergreen? Just remember if I get seeds I'll most likely be giving lots away....☺☺

Donna☺☺☺

Very beautiful, Donna! And kind of special with this very tall upright stalk! It reminds me of an ostrich overlooking the scene...

I would try Papilio and Evergreen for sure. A self could also be intersting and maybe something plain, like Picotee or a plain white where it could leave its marks?

Good luck with it, whatever partner you chose!

Anja

Gorgeous Donna! How about one of the lighter colored smaller specials from last year (H554 or Torrone)? Keeping the color while bringing down the height. With all your frozen pollen, I'm sure it will be special whatever you choose :) -J

Pollination from H.papilio is the procedure of choice! Well, If you have got that choice and some fresh pollen of the butterfly respectively. Thank you for the documentation!

Cute and pretty!!!!

Thanks again everyone! Yes, I do have some fresh papilio pollen and that will be my first line of attack! Jody, I don't have either of the pollens you suggested but I might try Evergreen...Donna☺☺

She's a beauty Donna, congrats. I would definitely try papilio and maybe some other cybister types.

Hi donna she is beautiful and very tall!! I'm always amazed at the size & height hippies can grow to. I can't wait to see what happens next :) I'm slowly learning a little more about them. thks for sharing

Hi Calshaye,

Well, I pollinated all 4 flowers. The first was x papilio and the flower seemed to wither the next day so I took that as a sign that Fire Blade was pleased with papilio, I put Exotic Star on the second one and then Oriental Lady on third. All seemed to wither within the next two days and so I did the fourth and final flower with papilio again. I only pollinated each flower twice, sometimes I have do it do it many times.

Fire Blade is well rooted and still as firm as a rock so I'm hopeful that at least a couple of the crosses might take. I used papilio twice so I might have some extra seeds to give away. No promises yet though....Donna☺☺

Unfortunately my papilio is not bloom yet. I had to put my papilio x equestre on my Evening Butterfly and Secret Alleys. It will be a couple of weeks before papilio blooms. Got another bloom coming on a different bulb of papilio x equestre so more pollen coming.

Ray

Ray, did you consider selfing one flower of your Secret Alleys? I would think that the cross that produced this lovely flower might have a few more lovelies up its sleeves....

Donna☺☺

Donna, she is very regal and very lovely.

I hope you get big, fat seed pods that are stuffed with viable seeds. You know your fellow CHAD sufferers would happily take some seeds off your hands!

Hopefully something will take and I did 2 x papilio hoping to be able to share some of those, 1 x Oriental Lady and the last x Exotic Star. They are strange shaped seedpods so far and they all look the same. If I go get any seeds it looks like they'll be extremely small.

By the way, nothing I have done so far this season has taken. I had 4 seedpods that I thought looked good on a rooted Evergreen and the scape withered and I lost them all but when opening the underdeveloped pods it appears that nothing had taken anyway!!

Hi Donna,

It looks promising and what a bummer that nothing else took. I tried putting Neon Rose and Honey Bee on my papilio and...nothing :-((( I also put papilio on one of my dwarf striatum and it seems to have taken. The developing pods are tiny and I think the seeds will be tiny as well...stay tuned.

Fred

Fred, your Honey Bee was from last season, right?

Hi Kristi,

Yes it is and she sent up a spike this year again so I'll have fresh pollen to play with. Let's hope she isn't fussy about pollinating :-))) Will post pictures when I have a chance.

Fred

Hi,

Just a update on Fire Blade's seedpods. The two papilios are in the front and they look like they've taken, very lumpy though. The smaller one to the left is Oriental Lady and it still looks good but appears only to have a few seeds if the lumps are an indication of where the seeds are. The one in the rear is shrinking

☺☺Donna