About Red Hot Poker Plants

Red hot poker plants (Kniphofia spp.), also known as poker plants or torch lilies, produce vibrant, rocket-shaped blooms in brilliant colors. South African natives, they flourish from U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9. Poker plants provide colorful vertical accents to lift the garden out of the summer doldrums. They do especially well at high elevations and in arid climates, where they thrive with a minimum of care.

With their torchlike blooms, red hot poker plants lend attention-getting color and shape to any garden. Drought- and heat-tolerant, they are easy to grow and maintain, even in arid environments where other plants wilt. The plants grow 2 to 5 feet high and produce long, succulent leaves that allow them to store up water and withstand drought conditions. Red hot pokers grow as wildflowers in South Africa, producing large fields of thousands of vibrant plants in mid- to late-summer.

Red hot poker plants grow tubular flowered spikes that look, when in full bloom, like the tip of a steel shaft left in the fire. The flaming tip is often backed by yellow on classic poker plants, but colors include red, orange, coral, apricot, yellow, cream and even a bright green. Flowers are produced from late spring through fall in most locations. Deadheading the spent blooms by hand encourages the plant to produce new flowers. Nectar-feeding hummingbirds, butterflies and moths are drawn to the blooms.

Although resilient in dry environments and at higher elevations, red hot poker plants prefer moderately rich, well-draining soil. They do best in full sun or partial shade with adequate water during the growing season. Good drainage is especially important; waterlogged soil leads to crown rot on these plants. Red hot poker develops into large clumps that can spread up to 3 feet, so allow plenty of room for their size. Clumps can be easily divided to create new plants.

Red hot poker plants benefit from winter protection from extra mulch, especially in USDA zones 5 and 6. Tying the foliage stalks together during winter months helps prevent excess snow and water from seeping into the plant's crown and encouraging rot. If you prefer, cut the plant down to the base in the fall or leave the foliage through winter and removed it in spring.

Red hot poker can be grown from seed planted directly in gardens or started indoors for transplanting to gardens later. Seeds should be covered lightly with 1/4 inch of fine garden or potting soil. Note some varieties of red hot poker self-seed readily and are considered invasive in many areas because of this tendency. To prevent the plant from self-seeding, cut the blooms before they set seed, or collect the seeds to be started under your control.