Kniphofia x praecox is a hybrid offspring of K. uvaria and K. bruceae and is often known by the common name Greater Fire Poker. Greater Fire Poker is one of the most popular of the Red Hot Poker plants. It is an erect, perennial, evergreen with long flowering stalks of 2 to 4 feet tall and clumps of basal leaves up to 3 feet in diameter. This plant blooms in the summer and occasionally has a fall flush that is not as spectacular. It is a tough plant that is very easy to grow. Greater Fire Poker does best in full sun in average to sandy, medium moisture, well-drained soils. It is intolerant of wet, heavy soils. Wet soils can cause rot and death in the winter. Site the plant in an area protected from wind and cold and promptly remove spent flower spikes. Once established, it is best not to disturb or move the plants. This plant can be a stunning ornamental in the front of a shrub border, or planted along a driveway or walkway. It can be utilized as single specimens or for mass planting in beds because of its strong, vivid, and bold colors. This plant is resistant to damage by deer and is slightly salt tolerant. It can spread easily by means of rhizomes. Quick ID Hints: Basal cluster of strap-like, keeled leaves with lily point Elongated peduncle topped with bright red to yellow flowers Flowers are dense, crowded, pendulous, tubular, and overlapping Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: This plant has no serious pest or disease problems. Root rot in poorly-drained soils and thrips may appear in some areas. Greater Fire Poker does not do well in cold winters and will benefit from mulch. Alternatively, you can tie the leaves together to form a canopy over the crown to prevent water from settling on the crown and freezing.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Erect; Spreading
Foliage
Semi-evergreen
Leaf color
Blue; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Linear
Leaf feel
Rough
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Leaves are alternate, linear, crowded vasally, keeled, strap-like, grayish-green in color and can grow up to 3 inches long. Leaf margins come together into a pointed apex. Blades are sheading basally and are overlapping each other around minute stems.
Flower color
Cream/Tan; Gold/Yellow; Orange; Red/Burgundy; White
Flower value
Good Cut; Showy
Flower form
Raceme; Spike
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
> 6 inches
Flower detail
Flowers are crowded, pendulous, and tubular. They can be bold red, yellow, cream to coral, orange, or white in cultivar selections. Inflorescence is a scapose raceme arising from a radial cluster of leaves. Peduncles are fleshy, thick, and erect. Rachis are densely crowded with flowers and buds, 1/5-1/4 the length of the peduncle.