Harvesting Red Hot Poker Flower Seeds Youtube
Red Hot Fire Poker Plant
Deadheading Red Hot Poker Flowers
Plant Red Hot Poker
Red Hot Poker Seeds

Brilliant red hot poker plants (Kniphofia uvaria) add a splash of color to a garden or yard. Also called torch lily, these 4-foot-tall evergreen perennials form clumps up to 2 feet wide and attract bees and hummingbirds. The narrow, grayish green leaves grow up to 18 to 36 inches long. Tube-shaped flowers, which continuously appear in the spring, summer and fall, bloom upward from the bottom of the 8-inch long flower spike atop a 2- to 4-foot stalk. Cultivars, including “Border Ballet” and “Cobra,” bloom orange, red or yellow and fade to creamy white as new colorful flowers appear.

Location

Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia Caulescens) - Start Red Hot Poker seeds for a fabulous wildflower species, Kniphofia Caulescens, which is native to the high grassy slopes of South Africa's Drakensberg Mountains. It is a slightly lower growing variety than Kniphofia Uvaria. Red hot poker plants are perennials and will bloom the first year if started early. The plants tolerate heat well, prefers drained soils to wet over winter. Red Hot Poker varieties all make excellent cut flowers, and will provide some striking color and style accents to your more humble or commonplace arrangements.

Red hot poker plants thrive in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 10. Temperatures below 14 degrees Fahrenheit will harm these perennials. Native to South Africa, they grow best in full sun to partial shade with afternoon sun. They add dramatic color to borders, containers and rock gardens. Allow a space of 3 feet between plants.

Soil Requirements

Rich, well-drained soil with a pH level between 6.6 and 7.5 provides an optimal growing environment for red hot poker plants. Add compost to the soil to provide organic matter and improve drainage. These drought tolerant plants prefer dry to moderately moist soil but will not tolerate poorly drained, wet soil. If winter temperatures usually drop below freezing in your area, a winter layer of straw mulch will protect the plants from cold injury.

Care

Red hot poker plants tolerate drought, but they grow best with regular watering in the summer. To ensure summer blooming, water the plants as soon as the soil feels dry. Avoid overwatering to prevent crown rot, which causes wilting and dieback. To protect the plants from snails and slugs, move piles of firewood and other damp hiding places away from the plants and place flower pots on stands. Cut the stems back to the base of the plant after blooming finishes in the fall to remove unsightly leaves and renew growth.

Propagation

You can propagate red hot poker plants by division or from seed. Pry apart the roots of mature clumps and cut through the base of the leaves and stems with a sharp knife in the spring before new growth appears. Plant the divisions at the same depth as they originally grew. Seeds develop and dry in the seed head in the fall. Plant the seeds 1/4-inch deep in the ground in the spring or fall or start the seeds indoors in a tray six weeks before the last anticipated frost date. Flowers appear during the second growing season.

References (7)

About the Author

Judith Evans has been writing professionally since 2009, specializing in gardening and fitness articles. An avid gardener, Evans has a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of New Hampshire, a Juris Doctor from Vermont Law School, and a personal trainer certificate from American Fitness Professionals and Associates.

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Harvesting Red Hot Poker Flower Seeds Youtube

Evans, Judith. 'About Red Hot Poker Plants.' Home Guides | SF Gate, http://homeguides.sfgate.com/red-hot-poker-plants-48768.html. Accessed 16 January 2020.

Red Hot Fire Poker Plant

Evans, Judith. (n.d.). About Red Hot Poker Plants. Home Guides | SF Gate. Retrieved from http://homeguides.sfgate.com/red-hot-poker-plants-48768.html

Deadheading Red Hot Poker Flowers

Evans, Judith. 'About Red Hot Poker Plants' accessed January 16, 2020. http://homeguides.sfgate.com/red-hot-poker-plants-48768.html

Plant Red Hot Poker

Red Hot Poker Seeds

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