Kniphofia, like a flaming sword thrust from below earth

Kniphofia fllowers blazing like fire

Kniphofia is a striking uncommon perennial native to South Africa. Its blooming is truly unique and produces very ornamental results. Caring for this plant is easy, and it will quickly settle in the background portions of your garden flower beds.

A summary of what there is to know:

NameKniphofia
FamilyAsphodelaceae
Type – perennial

Height – 20 to 50 inches (50 to 150 cm)
Exposure – full sun
Soil – chalky
Flowering – June to November

Planting kniphofia

It’s recommended to plant your kniphofia in spring with a spacing of about 16 inches (40 cm) between plants so that they can spread and grow well.

  • Properly draining soil is strongly recommended, especially for winter
  • Prefer full sun to ensure more bountiful blooming
  • Planting depth is about 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm)

You can mix soil from your garden together with flower plant soil mix, this will lead to better results.

Pruning and caring for Kniphofia

Remove wilted flowers regularly (deadheading) in order to boost appearance of new flower scapes. Protect the base of your kniphofia with a high-quality mulch for the winter, particularly if the climate is rather cold in your area. It’s the key to seeing your plant sprout back up again in the following spring.

Learn more about kniphofia

Colorful hues of red, orange and yellow definitely make this plant look like fireworks. Its tall, upright bursts of flowers will catch the eye of every casual passer-by – even from the back of the flower bed! Imagine the impact in an indoor bouquet!

Kniphofia pollinator, here, a waspTruly an original flower, this perennial also has creative common names: red hot poker and torch lily, to name a few. Hardy enough to survive in our temperate climates, kniphofia will survive low temperatures, even below freezing. With luck, the flowers will keep coming up deep into December.

Kniphofia is a flower that produces and abundance of nectar. It will contribute to attracting pollinators to your garden.

Smart tip about kniphofia

Adding fertilizer in spring will help increase the blooming, especially for potted Kniphofia.


Credits for images shared to Nature & Garden (all edits by Gaspard Lorthiois):
Shafts of fire by Rod Waddington under © CC BY-SA 2.0
Wasp visiting by Conall under © CC BY 2.0