Kniphofia - Hybrids

In the wild, kniphofia species grow on the edge of river banks which dry up during the very hot season in South Africa, so they need some care in cultivation. Well drained soil enriched with compost suits them best, but almost any soil will do except those which waterlog. In very cold areas protection of the crown may be advised, using the cut-down remains of the plant as a mulch. They make excellent vertical accents and vary in colour from cream, through shades of orange, salmon and red. Green forms are available like Kniphofia 'Little Maid' a seedling raised here at the gardens.

The tubular flowers of all red-hot-pokers produce nectar deep in the tube, accessible to longer-tongued bees, plus butterflies and moths. Smaller pollinators of all sorts may clamber into the tubes as well, while some bees act as nectar thieves, biting the tube open to get at the nectar without brushing the stamens. Similarly house sparrows in some places have adapted to taking the flowers apart to get nectar, and can be then seen sporting a crown-dusting of pollen. The evergreen species in particular make substantial clumps that can provide winter shelter for beneficial invertebrate predators, although the clump-formation makes them of concern if they escape the confines of the garden, as they are doing increasingly, especially along the south coast.