Red hot poker

Red hot poker: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Clump-forming perennial with foliage about 60 cm tall and flower stems to 1–1.2 m; 60–80 cm wide.

Leaves

Long, narrow and grass-like, keeled, grey-green; largely stays through mild winters.

Flowers

Dense spikes of drooping tubular flowers 3–4 cm long on bare, sturdy stems, from July to September.

Colour

Coral-red buds, yellow open flowers: the spike turns yellow from the bottom up.

Roots

Thick, fleshy roots and a sturdy crown; it dislikes being moved.

Flowering: July–September · Plants: April–May · Pruning: April and September

Why grow it?

• A striking, exotic focal point in the summer border, from July to September.
• A sturdy cut flower with an unusual silhouette for the vase.
• Bees and bumblebees visit the tubular flowers.
• Copes well with dry summers once established.
• Long-lived: a clump can stay in the same place for years.

Red hot poker: where does it grow best?

• Full sun; in shade it flowers poorly.
• Free-draining sandy or loamy soil, acid to chalky.
• Moist to dry in winter; in summer the soil may stay a little moist.
• Sheltered from cold wind, for example in front of a south-facing wall.
• Allow 50–60 cm between plants.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

1.2 m tall, 0.6 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -15 °C)

Goes well with

• Montbretia: Also from South Africa, flowering at the same time in orange and red.
• African lily: Blue globes beside the orange torches, South African too.
• Blue eryngo: Steel-blue heads in the same sunny, free-draining soil.
• Giant feather grass: Tall golden plumes that soften the bold spikes.
• Yarrow: Flat heads contrasting with the upright spikes.

Red hot poker: when and how to plant it?

Plant in April–May.

1. Plant in April–May, so it has a whole summer to root before its first winter.
2. Dig a generous hole and, in heavier soil, mix in coarse sand or gravel for drainage.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in the pot: the crown must not be buried.
4. Space plants 50–60 cm apart.
5. Water well straight away and regularly in dry spells during the first summer.

Care

Water

Regularly in dry spells during the first summer. After that only in long droughts while flowering.

Feeding

In May, some compost around the base, not over the crown.

Spent spikes

Cut faded flower stems off at the base: the clump looks tidier and puts no energy into seed.

Tying the leaves

In October, tie the leaves together above the crown so rain runs off the outside.

Leave it be

Leave the clump undisturbed for years: it flowers more freely once well established.

Tip: Plant it in spring rather than autumn: it then has a whole summer to root and comes through its first wet winter far better.

Red hot poker: when to prune it?

Pruning months: April and September.

When: Spent spikes in August–September, and the old leaves only in April.

How:

• Cut faded flower stems as low as possible at the base, as soon as they have finished.
• Don’t cut the leaves in autumn; tie them together above the crown instead.
• In April, remove old, dead leaves and shorten the rest to 10–15 cm, just above the new growth.

Caution: Never cut the leaves off in autumn: the crown is then exposed to rain and frost.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

In April–May, detach young rosettes with roots from the edge of the clump and plant them separately. They usually flower after one or two years.

Red hot poker: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −15 °C: protect young plants.

• Hardy to about −15 °C, but only in free-draining soil: wet winters are its worst enemy.
• In autumn, tie the leaves together above the crown so no water stands in it.
• In hard frost, place some dry leaves or straw around the base, not over it.
• Young plants are most vulnerable in their first winter, so plant in spring.

Diseases and pests

• Crown rot: The crown turns brown and soft after a wet winter. Tie the leaves in autumn and replant in a drier spot with gravel.
• Few or no flowers: Too young, too much shade or recently divided. Give it time and a sunny spot.
• Thrips: Silvery-grey flecks on leaves and flowers in hot, dry summers. Hosing down and avoiding drought help.
• Slugs and snails: Hide among the leaves and eat young shoots. Clear old leaves in spring and pick them off.

Through the year

• April: Cut away old leaves. Plant. Divide.
• May: Plant. Divide. Compost around the base.
• June: Flower stems growing. Water in dry spells.
• July: Flowering begins. Cut for the vase.
• August: Full flower, with bees and bumblebees. Remove spent spikes.
• September: Last flowers. Cut spent spikes off at the base.
• October: Tie the leaves together above the crown.
• November: In hard frost, straw around the base. Don’t cut back.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The name Kniphofia honours Johann Hieronymus Kniphof, an 18th-century German physician and botanist.
• In South Africa the flowers are visited mainly by sunbirds, small birds that sip nectar from the tubular flowers with their curved beaks.
• The French name ‘tritoma’ is an old genus name that has stuck in the trade.