What is it? Some gardeners find the torch-like flower spikes of these African natives too brash; others love the drama they add to a border. Breeders have been working on the kniphofia genus, coming up with cultivars in shades of pale lemon, green and peach.
Any good varieties? If you’re looking for a red-hot poker that flowers now, try Kniphofia rooperi (pictured). Otherwise I favour K. ‘Tawny King’ (burnt orange and cream, from late summer to autumn) and K. ‘Bees’ Lemon’ (lime green buds opening to yellow, from mid- to late summer). For a more compact plant, try K. ‘Little Maid’ (greeny-yellow flower spikes from late summer to early autumn), which reaches 60cm tall, as opposed to the 1m or so of the other cultivars mentioned.
Plant it with? Team with Euphorbia griffithii ‘Fireglow’, Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ and grasses such as stipa and leatherleaf sedge.
And where? In full sun and fertile soil; in partial shade, you won’t get so many flowers. Mulch around the crown of the plant in winter.
Any drawbacks? Snails love to make a nest in the bases of the leaves.
What else can it do? In Africa, birds are its natural pollinator – they love the copious nectar it produces – but here it will be just as popular with bees and butterflies.
