Red Hot Poker
Kniphofia uvaria
Family: Asphodelaceae · Also called Kniphofia, Torch Lily, Poker Plant, Triclissa uvaria, Aletris uvaria, Veltheimia uvaria
Green & Fresh · Summer–Autumn bloomer
Red hot pokers are nature's torches, dense, cylindrical spikes of tubular flowers that graduate from red at the top (unopened buds) through orange to yellow-green at the base (spent flowers), creating an ombré flame effect. Rising on stout stems above grassy foliage, they bring vertical drama and fiery color to summer and autumn borders.
exuberance, passion, standing out
In the Victorian language of flowers, red hot poker means “Exuberance and boldness”. Named after Johann Hieronymus Kniphof, an 18th-century German botanist. Red hot pokers were Victorian garden favorites and appear in many Gertrude Jekyll border designs. In South Africa, sunbirds are their primary pollinators, the birds perch on the sturdy stems and probe each tubular floret. The nectar is so abundant it sometimes drips from the flowers.
Did You Know?
Each red hot poker spike produces so much nectar that it literally drips, in South Africa, children suck the sweet fluid from individual florets. A single flower spike can contain over 1,000 individual tubular flowers, opening from the bottom up over several weeks. There are about 70 wild species, ranging from dwarf alpine forms to giants reaching 6 feet.
Grasslands, stream banks, and mountain slopes from the Cape to Ethiopia
Red Hot Poker is native to South Africa, East Africa. It naturally grows in grasslands, stream banks, and mountain slopes from the cape to ethiopia.
Scent Profile
“A faint, sweet nectar note, the copious nectar attracts birds rather than insects, so strong scent wasn't necessary for evolutionary success. The visual signal of the flame-colored spike is sufficient.”
Quick Reference
- Scientific NameKniphofia uvaria
- FamilyAsphodelaceae
- Native ToSouth Africa, East Africa
- Bloom SeasonSummer–Autumn
- LifespanPerennial
Cultural Significance
Named after Johann Hieronymus Kniphof, an 18th-century German botanist. Red hot pokers were Victorian garden favorites and appear in many Gertrude Jekyll border designs. In South Africa, sunbirds are their primary pollinators, the birds perch on the sturdy stems and probe each tubular floret. The nectar is so abundant it sometimes drips from the flowers.