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How to Grow and Care for Red Hot Poker Plants
| Botanical Name | Kniphofia |
| Common Name | Red hot poker, torch lily, torch flower, ... |
| Family | Asphodelaceae |
| Plant Type | Herbaceous, perennial |
| Mature Size | 3-4 ft. tall, 2-3 ft. wide |
How do you take care of Kniphofia?
Water thoroughly after planting, soaking the soil to settle it around the roots. Provide supplemental water as needed in the spring and summer, with about 1" of moisture per week, although Kniphofia can tolerate less water once established.
How do you plant Kniphofia?
Peat moss, compost, ground bark or decomposed manure all work well and are widely available. Kniphofia will not survive in soils that are water logged. Site your kniphofia where they'll get full day sun. Plant with the crown at the soil line and 18-42" apart, depending on the species or variety that you have.
What happens to Kniphofia in the fall?
As cooler weather arrives in the fall, kniphofia leaves may yellow and die back as the plant slips into dormancy. Foliage may be cut back at this point. Your kniphofia plant will rest for a few months before beginning the next growing cycle in spring. In warm regions, red hot poker lily foliage may stay green year round.
Are kniphofias good for xeriscaping?
Kniphofias are also a superb option of garden specimen for xeriscaping! It is especially important that kniphofia plants receive at least 1 inch of watering per week when they are first being established.
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Do you cut back red hot pokers after flowering?
Cutting back a Red Hot Poker's tall stalks after blooming is not recommended. Allowing the foliage to remain all season long helps the plant to store food for the winter. However, you can cut off the spent blooms after they fade. Deadheading during the growing season encourages continuous blooming.
Should I deadhead red hot pokers?
Pruning Red Hot Poker Plant Flowers For example, as the blooms fade, you'll want to snip them off, since diligent deadheading keeps those flowering coming, but do not trim back the plants themselves.
Should I cut back kniphofia?
Evergreen perennials such as certain Kniphofia and ornamental sedges are not cut back, but are tidied during spring and summer by removing dead foliage. After cutting back, mulch and fertilise to promote growth and flowering.
Should you cut back red hot pokers in the fall?
In early spring, cut the foliage back to 3 inches off the ground to clean up the plant and allow new foliage to emerge. In cold locations, cut back the foliage in late fall instead.
How do you keep red hot pokers blooming?
Red Hot Poker Plant Pruning Red hot poker flower spikes will begin to bloom in the springtime. As old flowers fade, remove them by cutting at the base of the stem, to promote continuous growth through the fall.
How do you care for Kniphofia?
Like many southern African plants, Kniphofia can withstand frigid temperatures but combined and sustained cold and wet is the death knell for them. Some damp is tolerable, as is snow, provided it doesn't linger. Grow Kniphofia in fairly light, well-drained soil and position them in full sun or partial shade.
How do you propagate Kniphofia?
The best way to propagate kniphofias is to divide them in spring. Dig up a clump and use a spade or sharp knife to slice through the rootball, ensuring there are growing tips on each new clump. Replant one of the clumps in the original planting hole and use the others to increase your stock of kniphofias elsewhere.
How do you harvest red hot poker seeds?
Let all the florets drop from the flower spike and then cut off the entire stem. An important part of collecting red hot poker seeds is to let them dry. Pull the pods from the stems and lay them out to dry for at least 24 hours. Break open the seed pod over a dish to catch the small seeds.
Are red hot pokers perennials?
Red hot pokers (Kniphofia) are herbaceous perennials prized for their tall, showstopping flower spikes in bright red, orange, yellow, and other colors.
Can you split Red Hot Pokers?
Some perennials, including Astilbe, Hosta and Kniphofia (red hot poker), produce fleshy roots that are not easy to pull apart. The best time to divide these is towards the end of their dormant period when their buds begin to shoot and you can easily see the most suitable sections.
Can Kniphofia be grown in pots?
Planting in borders and containers For optimum performance choose a spot in full sun with fertile, well-drained soil that isn't too wet over winter. Smaller, narrow-leaved cultivars such as 'Bees' Sunset' are easier to combine with other plants than the larger sorts, and grow well in pots and containers.
Is Kniphofia toxic to dogs?
Are Red Hot Kniphofia Plants Considered Toxic or Poisonous? According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Torch Lily is non-toxic to horses, dogs, and cats.
What color are kniphofias?
Colours range from red and orange through yellow to green and even brown and pink. Planting in borders and containers. Kniphofias are generally easy to grow given the right conditions. For optimum performance choose a spot in full sun with fertile, well-drained soil that isn’t too wet over winter.
When does Maxima Globosa bloom?
Although it blooms in winter in its native habitat, forms in cultivation including ‘Maxima Globosa’ flower in September and October in the northern hemisphere – making them valuable in the autumn garden. Height 60-155cm (2-5ft).
Can kniphofias be replanted?
Dig up and destroy affected plants, and do not replant in the same spot. To avoid root rots, always plant kniphofias in well-drained soil. Aphids can sometimes attack flowerheads – try to avoid using any form of insecticide as there is a risk of harming beneficial wildlife too.
Can red hot poker plants survive drought?
Looking for something with an exotic air? The name is a tongue twister ( pronounced nee-FOF-ee-a) but these plants are easy to grow - many even say tough to kill - and deliver colorful, spiky, wand-like flowers that hummingbirds love. Once established, these Red Hot Poker plants can also manage drought, although they tend to bloom more profusely with supplemental water.
Can kniphofia survive in water?
Kniphofia will not survive in soils that are water logged. Site your kniphofia where they'll get full day sun. Plant with the crown at the soil line and 18-42" apart, depending on the species or variety that you have. The rhizomes you receive will have roots attached so it will be easy to determine which end is "up".
How tall do Kniphofia uvaria plants grow?
By comparison, one common species, Kniphofia uvaria, reaches 3 to 4 feet in height. Perhaps the best feature of these plants is their long blooming period. Many varieties will brighten a garden with vibrant flowers for much of the summer. They are best planted in spring and will reach full height within each growing season.
How tall is Kniphofia?
There are over 60 species in the Kniphofia genus, and most varieties available today are hybrids. Among the most popular are the dwarf cultivars that have clumping foliage reaching 1 to 2 feet high and flower stalks that stand over 2 feet tall. By comparison, one common species, Kniphofia uvaria, reaches 3 to 4 feet in height.
How big does Kniphofia uvaria get?
Kniphofia 'Lady Luck': An unusually tall variety that grows 5 to 5.5 feet tall and 3 to 3.5 feet wide; white flowers.
When to deadhead a flower?
Deadheading refreshes a plant's appearance and helps to redirect the plant's energy towards root and vegetative growth; the best time to deadhead a flower is when its appearance begins to decline. Red hot poker flower spikes will begin to bloom in the springtime.
Why do you leave old leaves on a plant?
Leaving the foliage on the plant will allow the leaves to gather sunlight and create food through photosynthesis.
How long does it take for a red hot poker to bloom?
Red hot poker blossoms open from bottom to top over the course of several days , changing color as they mature; however, to ensure that your plant produces as many long-lasting blooms as possible, it's important to cut off old blooms to make room for new growth (this process is referred to as "deadheading").
What is a red hot poker plant?
The red hot poker plant is a showy, lovely perennial that's in the lily family. This plant's most striking characteristic is its blooms, which resemble glowing pokers or torches: towering stalks of orange, yellow, pink, red or cream-colored tubular flowers. The red hot poker flower, which typically grows to be between 3 and 4 feet tall, ...
When do red hot poker plants start flowering?
Most cultivars start flowering by late June and some re-bloom until frost . Do you cut back red hot poker plants when the flowers fade? The answer is a decisive no. Pruning a red hot poker plant’s foliage at this time is not a good idea. You’ll want to leave the foliage in place.
Can you cut back red hot poker plants?
The bright, wand-like flowers are loved by hummingbirds, and always please gardeners with their low-maintenance ways. When the correct time arrives, you’ll want to start cutting back red hot poker plants. Read on for information about exactly ...
Cultivation Notes
Aftercare
- To help keep your red-hot pokers healthy; 1. Tidy plants in mid spring 2. Water container-grown plants regularly over the summer 3. Deadhead after flowering
Overwintering
- Leave the plants alone until mid-spring as the old growth will protect the crown of the plant. Once the weather has begun to warm up, any dead or untidy-looking foliage can be pulled away – this will provide the opportunity to check for slugs and snails which can damage developing flowerheads and young growth. Rosettes of more tender species can be...
Propagation
- Although some modern seed mixes have been developed that will flower from seed in their first year, for the sake of speed pokers are generally purchased as pot-grown plants. They can easily be propagated by divisionin spring – this is the only way to increase named cultivars as they do not come true from seed.
Cultivar Selection
- Heights given are the flowering spikes, which are always taller than the foliage. ‘Bees' Sunset’ AGM (syn. ‘Shining Sceptre’) - incredibly colourful poker with orange flowerheads that fade to yellow as they age, borne on handsome bronze stems. Height 70-130cm Kniphofia caulescens – one of the most striking species with beautiful, glaucous grey leaves and coral pink to orange re…
Kniphofia - The Complete Guide
- For unparalleled information on red-hot pokers, their species, cultivars and cultivation, see the first in our series of horticultural monographs, Kniphofia - the complete guide- see a preview below:
Problems
- Kniphofias generally suffer from few pests and diseases – slugs and snails being the most frequent. It’s worth being vigilant as the flower spikes emerge as these are the most vulnerable parts of the plant. Root rots (including Fusarium and Phytophthera) can occasionally affect pokers. Symptoms initially resemble those of drought stress, including wilting and dull-coloured …
Pick of The Pokers
- Read an article from The Plant Review (formerly The Plantsman)detailing the species and best cultivars from the most recent RHS Kniphofia trial.