Kniphofia Tawny King - Red Hot Poker

The Kniphofia 'Tawny King' is a variety of beautifully tall red hot pokers, with prolonged and spectacular flowering. Royal and generous, bright inflorescences in the shape of dense torches and in shades of tawny, soft orange, apricot and cream-white are displayed at the top of high stems curiously coloured with bronze. They emerge from July to September from a beautiful and vigorous fountain of dark green foliage. This plant has been awarded in England for its ornamental qualities and garden performance. A true focal point in flower beds, this perennial is easy to grow in full sun, in ordinary, and even occasionally dry soil.

The Kniphofia 'Tawny King' belongs to the asphodelaceae family. This perennial is a hybrid obtained by cross-breeding various species native to South and East Africa, including the South African Kniphofia pauciflora. It is a plant with fleshy rhizomes. This exceptional variety, sometimes reaching 1.20 m (4ft) in height when flowering and 90 cm (35in) wide depending on growing conditions, abundantly produces bronze-coloured floral stems and flowers in soft and warm colours, in shades of soft orange, apricot, and cream. This deciduous to semi-evergreen plant forms a spreading, fountain-like clump of tough, gutter-folded leaves. The flowering occurs in summer, from July-August to September-October, rising above the foliage, at the end of sturdy, cylindrical, dark leafless stems. The inflorescence, honey-producing and nectar-rich, is a dense terminal cluster of tubular, pendulous flowers, whose colour changes from coppery tawny in buds to creamy white.

With an exotic appearance, red hot pokers are surprising plants, but nevertheless very sturdy, perfect candidates for cottage gardens or wildflower borders where they light up with colourful torches. Plant Kniphofia 'Tawny King' near a water feature (in well-drained soil), combine it with tall asters, gauras, lady's mantles, echinaceas, and many other garden plants. It particularly complements tones of white, caramel, orange, or red. For example, associate it with colourful heucheras, magenta red valerian, or purple grasses like Pennisetum setaceum rubrum for contrast of colours and textures. Red hot pokers go well with lightly flowering perennials and and add structure to flower beds, just like grasses with which they create magnificent summer scenes.