Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants
Herbaceous Perennial

Kniphofia hirsuta

hairy red-hot poker

Compact, clump-forming perennial to 60cm tall with basal rosettes of hairy, arching, narrow leaves to 60cm long and 2.5cm wide. Dense conical flower spikes borne on stout stems in summer bear tubular flowers opening orange to salmon-pink and aging to greenish-yellow

Buy this plant
Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metres
Time to ultimate height
2–5 years
Ultimate spread
0.1–0.5 metres
Growing conditions
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Green
Summer Green Orange Pink Yellow Green
Autumn Green
Winter
Position
  • Full sun
  • Partial shade
Aspect

West–facing or South–facing

Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness
H5
Botanical details
Family
Asphodelaceae
Native to the UK
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Columnar upright
Genus

Kniphofia may be evergreen or herbaceous perennials, with linear or strap-shaped leaves and erect stems bearing a dense raceme of tubular, usually pendent flowers

Name status

Correct

Plant range
South Africa (E Cape), Lesotho

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in full sun and fertile, moist but well-drained soil that isn’t too wet over winter. See kniphofia cultivation for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by division of established clumps in late spring or by taking offshoots from the crown

Suggested planting locations and garden types
  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Coastal
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Flower borders and beds
Pruning

Cut down old flower stems after flowering; old or dead leaves can be tidied up or removed in mid-spring

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, thrips, slugs and snails

Diseases

Generally disease-free

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.