How to Plant and Grow Red Hot Poker

This herbaceous perennial produces flowers that are both whimsical and architectural. Also known as torch lily, red hot poker blooms intermittently from late spring until fall, adding bold texture and color to the garden. Exceptionally easy to grow with a wide hardiness range of Zones 5-9, red hot poker works for just about any full-sun planting spot.

Play with shape and texture when choosing planting companions for red hot poker. In contrast with its bold, upright flower spikes, a host of mounding plants with curved leaves and flowers make excellent planting companions.

Where to Plant Red Hot Poker

Though red hot poker looks tropical, the plant is quite hardy. Plant red hot poker in full sun in soil that is well drained. The plant has greater visual impact when planted in clumps or drifts where several blooms will catch the eye. They like a sheltered site and look fantastic in front of a green hedge to highlight the blooms. They will perform well beside a pond as long as they're sited in well-drained soil. They also do well in gardens near the ocean.

How and When to Plant Red Hot Poker

In spring or fall, plant red hot poker nursery specimens by digging a hole about the same width and depth as the planting container. Remove the plant and loosen the roots a bit from the root ball before placing in the hole. Backfill with soil, tamp lightly, and water well. Space red hot poker plants 18 to 24 inches apart.

The easiest way to plant them is as potted transplants or tuberous roots, but they can be grown from seed, which can be started indoors anytime.

Red Hot Poker Care Tips

Red hot poker plants are easy to grow and maintain when they're situated in the right location.

Light

Grow red hot pokers in full sun to part shade. In hot locations, afternoon shade is especially important.

Soil and Water

Red hot poker needs moist, well-drained soil with a neutral pH. Spread a 2-inch-thick layer of mulch over the plant's root zone to preserve soil moisture and prevent weeds. Water new plants weekly for the first growing season in the garden. These tough perennials are susceptible to root rot from wet soil, especially in winter.

Temperature and Humidity

Red hot pokers do best in moderate temperatures, between 60ºF and 90ºF. They aren't fussy about humidity.

Fertilizer

Unless soil is of very poor quality, red hot poker will do fine without fertilizer. If feeding is needed, add a slow-release product that promotes flowering, following product label instructions.

Pruning

Clip spent flower blossoms to promote rebloom. Plants will send up a flush of flower spikes in late spring or early summer and continue blooming through the growing season if spent flowers are deadheaded. After a freeze in the fall, cut flower stalks off at the base of the plant.

Pests and Problems

There are no significant problems for red hot poker, other than the occasional plant that becomes infested with thrips.

How to Propagate Red Hot Poker

Red hot poker doesn't tolerate division well as it forms a long taproot, but you can divide it if you want to create more plants. Divide using a sharp spade to slice through the plant's root system. Transplants should have a large mass of roots and many aboveground stems. Replant all divisions in the spring at the same depth as the original plant, and be prepared to wait 2 to 3 years before the transplants bloom.

To start red hot poker from seeds, refrigerate seeds for at least a month before sowing. Sow the seeds in pots filled with moistened seed-starting mix about 6-8 weeks before your area's average last frost date. Keep potted seeds warm (a heat mat that keeps soil around 70 degrees works well) and they should germinate in about 4 weeks. Keep the germinated plants under grow lights for another few weeks and harden off plants before placing them in the garden.

Types of Red Hot Poker

'Shenandoah' Red Hot Poker

Kniphofia 'Shenandoah' produces thick, leafless stems topped with robust yellow pokers below and red on top. These appear in early summer. The deciduous triangular leaves are strap-shaped. Zones 6–9

'Shining Scepter' Red Hot Poker

Kniphofia 'Shining Scepter' blooms in midsummer with tangerine yellow pokers on 3- to 4-foot stems. Zones 6–9

Red Hot Poker Companion Plants

Helenium

Long-blooming helenium lights up the late-season garden with showy daisy flowers in brilliant yellows, browns, and mahogany, centered with prominent yellow or brown discs. Many of the best cultivars are hybrids. All are excellent for cutting. Zones 3-9

Artemisia

Grow artemisias for the silver foliage that complements nearly all other perennials and ties together diverse colors within the garden. They thrive in hot, dry, sunny conditions like a south-facing slope. Unfortunately, many artemisias spread rapidly to the point of being aggressive, so consider limiting yourself to well-behaved varieties. Zones 3-9

Perennial Salvia

There are hundreds of different types of salvias, commonly called sage. They all tend to have tall flower spikes and gray-green leaves. Countless sages (including the herb used in cooking) are available to decorate ornamental gardens. They're valued for their very long bloom season up until frost. Not all are hardy in cold climates, but they're easy to grow as annuals. Zones 3-10

Garden Plan for Red Hot Poker

Late-Summer Garden Plan

This eye-catching assortment of perennials will add color every year.