My computer at work has been out for repairs for several weeks. I have made good use of the space and sunlight.

Welcome Lokai99!!

Yes, it does indeed appear that you have a lovely Machala to add to your hippie family!! I have one that was gifted to me a sweet bulb fairy and if it is as pretty as yours when it blooms I will be very happy!!

Maybe another time you can acquire a Rio Negro as they are very beautiful!! I have had 3 of them and am now down to one and I can't ever seem to get them to bloom again for me and they rot easily (for me at least). For me, they are difficult but I love them and you don't see them offered that much any more....

Donna

Thank you, Donna! I threw some Exotic Star and papilio pollen at her and I hope she might be happy with either partner. I am happy to have her as I acquired some bukasovii X Machala seeds seeds last year and I thought she might be useful in future crossings. I wrote to Edens Blooms because I know they offered Rio Negro in the past. I hope they might have some bulbs they could dig at some point. You are very lucky to have found Rio three times!!! There are many elusive ones on my dream list such as Rembrant van Rjin and Madame Butterfly. Machala was very happy last year. She did not bloom last year,but she produced 3 small bulblets. Machala would have eventually been on the list to get, so I am glad to get her now.

Last year Royal Colors offered Rembrandt van Rijn for the first time in many years and most of us here grabbed one or more! I don't expect to see that one again if ever!!

Actually, one time several years ago I got 2 Rio Negros as mislabels!! Those both bloomed and then died, I think I kept them too wet. Then I bought another from Hirts Gardens on EBay and that is the one that is still alive.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if both Exotic Star as well as papilio take on your Machala.

The Madame's flowers are stunning and I can't imagine in my wildest dreams why this one is no longer available!! Strangely enough I didn't have any success pollination her to produce seeds, the only thing that took two years in a row was a self! Her self seeds were large and vigorous. Her pollen is good though and I am grown a few seedlings given to me by friend that are doing well.

Donna

I will definitely keep my eyes open on EBay. I actually saw Rembrandt van Rijn offered on RC last year, but I had no experience ordering from outside of the US and it was already sold out by the time I discovered the RC site. Hopefully, I might find those two on EBay someday. interesting things pop up from time to time.

~Joey

Welcome lokai99!!

Always good to hear from another hippi lover!!

Your Machala is lovely and I'm sure will give you lots of beautiful crosses.

-J

Thanks for the warm welcome! I am so looking forward to learning from all the great people here!

Welcome lokai99 ! Finaly you got a chance growing Machala , it is quite unfindable in for us in EU ! And you will easily find another Rio Negro :-))

Welcome Joey!

This is an image of my ‘Machala.’

Donna: Your offset should look like mama when she flowers.

Best,

Blanca

Blanca,

Especially beautiful!! I can't wait!!!☺☺

Blanca,

That is quite stunning and it reminds me of Quito quite a bit. I wonder if they are siblings?

Fred

Hi Fred:

Excellent thinking, and a very interesting possibility.

Berbee Beheer B.V bred both of these lovely cultivars.

H. Quito was registered first on 1-18-2005 to the
Spider Group.

H. Machala was registered on 12-31-2008 to the
Butterfly Group.

Welcome to the Hippeastrum Identity Sleuths!

Cheers.

Blanca

Here's a picture of my Quito for comparison, tell me what you think.

Very pretty Fred, could be cousins for sure..I'm hoping one of mine will bloom this season as I'd like to try Fledermaus on her....

I grow both of these cultivars. They may very well be closely related in terms
of genetic inheritance. The establishment
of new cultivar classification groupings was, in my opinion, a positive
move. I think that we can clearly see
the reasons for ‘Quito’ being in the Spider Group and 'Machala' being in the
Butterfly Group.

Blanca, your Machala is superb! Perhaps mine will show a bit more of those Butterfly characteristics next year.

I always had the same impression as you Fred, looking at these two cultivars, thank you Blanca for these details