Mario Bautista
When I was growing up in the South, Kniphofia – also known as torch lily, tritoma, or red-hot-poker – was considered “street trash.” These hardy plants thrived in traffic islands and parking lots, where few other perennials could survive. With their long stalks and bold colors, the flowers resembled glowing red fire pokers. But their shocking color combinations often clashed with other perennials, making them rare in gardens.
Times have changed, though, and plant breeders have transformed torch lilies into a versatile, desirable addition to any garden. Today’s varieties come in a wide range of colors and heights, from soft creams and apricots to bold bi-colors and solid reds. Although the original species could grow nearly four feet tall, dwarf cultivars offer more options for placement in smaller gardens. These plants are produced through tissue culture – like orchids – making them both affordable and accessible. They thrive in dry, sunny spots and, once established, require minimal care.
People are also reading…
Last spring, I was wandering through the “distressed and discounted” section of a local garden center when I spotted a few slightly off-color pots of Kniphofia ‘Hot and Cold’ from Proven Winners. Knowing how resilient torch lilies are (you can’t kill them unless you overwater), I decided to take them home. After just two weeks of recovery in my backyard, they bounced back beautifully and have been blooming ever since.
Photo by Getty Images
The buds of this variety start out as a soft tangerine orange and fade to cream, making them a perfect complement to my low-growing ‘Mesa Yellow’ blanket flowers. This variety is part of the Pyromania collection from Walters Gardens and Proven Winners, which also includes striking options like ‘Backdraft,’ ‘Rocket’s Red Glare,’ ‘Orange Blaze,’ and the pale green ‘Flashpoint’ with its lemon-lime torch. For even more drama, the Poker series offers varieties like ‘Jackpot,’ ‘High Roller,’ ‘Joker’s Wild,’ and the rich, golden ‘Gold Rush,’ all of which can grow over four feet tall. The standout of the collection is ‘Lady Luck,’ with chartreuse and white blooms that reach more than five feet.
For smaller spaces or container gardening, the Terra Nova Popsicle series offers compact options that play well with other plants. These dwarf varieties include solid colors like ‘Lemon Popsicle,’ ‘Mango,’ ‘Papaya,’ and creamy ‘Pineapple Popsicle,’ plus the striking bicolor ‘Orange Vanilla’. They grow two to three feet tall, making them versatile and easy to integrate into your garden. The even more compact POCO series features multiple crowns for dense blooms in warm shades like yellow, orange, red, “daybreak,” “sunset” and citron, a stunning lime green that fades to lemon as it ages.
Most of these varieties are available for fall ordering, with spring shipment and planting. They’ll bloom beautifully in their first season – even if you plant them in a parking lot.
