Kniphofia galpinii

Red Hot Poker Asphodelaceae

A more refined red-hot poker than the name might suggest, Kniphofia galpinii is a relatively compact species with slender, grassy foliage and elegant spikes of orange tubular flowers tipped and flushed with deeper red. Rather than producing the architectural monsters associated with some hybrid cultivars, it makes a neat clump and carries its flowers on relatively slender stems, giving the plant a lighter, more naturalistic character.

Native to northern KwaZulu-Natal, the eastern Transvaal and Eswatini, it grows in grassland and montane habitats. Kew recognises it as a distinct species, while the RHS describes it as an evergreen perennial to around 80cm. 

In cultivation it appreciates full sun and fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil, with particularly good drainage through winter. It is happiest where it receives plenty of light but does not suffer prolonged drought. The RHS rates it H4, making it a useful and reasonably hardy species for British gardens. 

An excellent choice for the collector of species Kniphofia, and a particularly good plant where the more exuberant hybrids would simply be too much of a red-hot poker.

Height: 60–80cm
Spread: 40–60cm
Flowering: July–September
Position: Full sun
Soil: Fertile, moist but well-drained; avoid winter wet
Hardiness: H4, approximately −10 to −5°C