Red Hot Poker
Kniphofia
Also comes in red and yellow.
Red Hot Poker blooms from June through August.
This entry comes from our curated library and has not yet been independently checked against outside sources. Curated is not unreliable: a standing audit keeps every entry internally consistent, and the source-by-source check is working through the whole library in the open.
Growing Red Hot Poker
Plant it in full sun. It prefers low water. It is hardy in USDA zones 5–9. Expect it to reach about 3.3 ft tall and 1.6 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years.
When to plant Red Hot Poker
Plant Red Hot Poker in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. For the middle of its hardy zones 5 to 9 range, spring means March to May and fall means September or October. Once settled, it blooms from June to August.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 7 in March.
Good to know about Red Hot Poker
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
Safe around dogs, cats and horses per ASPCA, but the sap can irritate skin and eyes: wear gloves when handling and keep children from eating it. per ASPCA and University of California ANR
Worth knowing
Those tubular torch spikes evolved in South Africa to feed nectar-eating sunbirds, so the hummingbirds they draw in your garden are answering the same nectar reward. per NC State
Bloom time varies by cultivar
Sources split from May to June through midsummer into fall. It hinges on cultivar and climate, and deadheading stretches the show. Pick a cultivar to suit your season. per Missouri Botanical and Clemson
Winter wet kills it
Sharp drainage is make-or-break. Winter-wet or waterlogged soil rots the crown and roots, the single top killer. Never plant it in clay or heavy ground. per Clemson
Tie foliage over the crown
In cold zones (5 to 6), mulch the roots and tie the leaves up into a canopy over the crown so water and ice cannot settle and freeze. per NC State
Deer and rabbit resistant
Deer and rabbits both tend to leave it alone, so it holds up in gardens where browsing is a problem. per NC State
Can naturalize in mild regions
Native to South Africa, it has naturalized and turned weedy in coastal California and the Pacific Northwest. Cal-IPC gives it a Watch rating; not a risk in cold-winter zones. per Cal-IPC
What pairs well with Red Hot Poker
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Rock Cress
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; low at 4 in, to carpet the ground beneath; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Sea Thrift
Shares full sun and low water; opens in mid spring and overlaps into this one's season; lower at 8 in, for the front of the border; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Candytuft
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; lower at 10 in, for the front of the border; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Grape Hyacinth
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; lower at 8 in, for the front of the border; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Autumn Crocus
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in early fall as this one finishes; low at 6 in, to carpet the ground beneath; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Crocus
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late winter, before this one opens; low at 4 in, to carpet the ground beneath; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Rosemary
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Thyme
Shares full sun and low water; low at 6 in, to carpet the ground beneath; opens in late spring and overlaps into this one's season; both offer pollinator forage.
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