Red Hot Poker Kniphofia x praecox

Kniphofia x praecox is a hybrid offspring of K. uvaria and K. bruceae and is often known by the common name Greater Fire Poker.

Greater Fire Poker is one of the most popular of the Red Hot Poker plants. It is an erect, perennial, evergreen with long flowering stalks of 2 to 4 feet tall and clumps of basal leaves up to 3 feet in diameter. This plant blooms in the summer and occasionally has a fall flush that is not as spectacular. It is a tough plant that is very easy to grow. 

Greater Fire Poker does best in full sun in average to sandy, medium moisture, well-drained soils. It is intolerant of wet, heavy soils. Wet soils can cause rot and death in the winter. Site the plant in an area protected from wind and cold and promptly remove spent flower spikes. Once established, it is best not to disturb or move the plants.

This plant can be a stunning ornamental in the front of a shrub border, or planted along a driveway or walkway. It can be utilized as single specimens or for mass planting in beds because of its strong, vivid, and bold colors. This plant is resistant to damage by deer and is slightly salt tolerant.  It can spread easily by means of rhizomes.

Quick ID Hints:

• Basal cluster of strap-like, keeled leaves with lily point
• Elongated peduncle topped with bright red to yellow flowers
• Flowers are dense, crowded, pendulous, tubular, and overlapping

Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems:

This plant has no serious pest or disease problems. Root rot in poorly-drained soils and thrips may appear in some areas. Greater Fire Poker does not do well in cold winters and will benefit from mulch. Alternatively, you can tie the leaves together to form a canopy over the crown to prevent water from settling on the crown and freezing.