red-hot poker
Kniphofia uvaria
USDA zones5 to 9
SunNeeds full sun (6+ hours)
WaterHandles moderate to moist soil
Size3 to 4 feet tall2 to 3 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Rapid
- Habit
- Clumping
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer
- Bloom color
- Top flowers red; lower flowers yellow
- Foliage color
- Blue, green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam
- Soil pH
- Acid, neutral, alkaline
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Red-hot poker (Kniphofia uvaria) is a perennial for borders, pollinator gardens, and cut flower arrangements. It is hardy to USDA zone 5, or down to -20°F (-29°C). This plant likes full sun and average to moist, sandy or loamy soil. Red flowers sit on top of each spike and yellow ones open below them, and bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds visit the blooms. It is not a favorite of deer or rabbits, though hungry ones will eat almost anything. Tall clumps of blue-green leaves look good between bloom times.
Pairs well with Feather reed grass, Butterfly bush, and Perennial candytuft.
Native range
South Africa.