{"title":"Red Hot Pokers","description":"\u003cp\u003eRed hot pokers do exactly what the name promises. Tall spikes of fiery orange, red and yellow flowers rise above grassy foliage through summer, and the bees cannot get enough of them.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"kniphofia-flamenco","title":"Kniphofia 'Flamenco' (Red Hot Poker)","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eKniphofia 'Flamenco'\u003c\/strong\u003e, better known as the \u003cstrong\u003ered hot poker\u003c\/strong\u003e or \u003cstrong\u003etorch lily\u003c\/strong\u003e, sends up bold, bicolour flower spikes that glow red-orange at the tip and fade to warm yellow below, lighting up the summer border like living flames above neat, grassy clumps. It is a sun-loving, easy-going perennial and a brilliant vertical accent in any \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/hardy-exotics\"\u003ehardy exotic\u003c\/a\u003e planting scheme.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFlowering from early summer right through into autumn, 'Flamenco' is loved by bees and other pollinators, which work the tubular flowers for nectar. It is fully hardy across most of the UK (rated RHS H5) and returns dependably year after year. It prefers free-draining soil.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHow and where to grow\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePosition:\u003c\/strong\u003e full sun in the most open spot you have, ideal for \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/exotic-border-plants\"\u003eexotic borders\u003c\/a\u003e and hot, \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/drought-tolerant-plants\"\u003edry and gravel gardens\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil:\u003c\/strong\u003e free-draining loam or sand across the full pH range; add grit on heavy ground for extra drainage.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e compact, reaching around 0.6 to 1 m tall and 0.4 to 0.5 m across in a few seasons.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHardiness:\u003c\/strong\u003e fully hardy (RHS H5), reliably perennial across the UK.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eDrought-tolerant once established, 'Flamenco' also stands up well to wind and salt, making it a strong choice for \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/coastal-plants\"\u003ecoastal and exposed gardens\u003c\/a\u003e as well as a magnet for wildlife in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/plants-for-pollinators\"\u003epollinator-friendly borders\u003c\/a\u003e. Its upright, torch-like spikes bring instant architectural drama among grasses and other bold foliage.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor more on how these plants perform through the seasons, see our guide on \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/hardy-exotics-what-to-expect\"\u003ewhat to expect from hardy exotics\u003c\/a\u003e. Every red hot poker we supply is nursery-grown, selected for a healthy crown and strong roots, and packed with care to arrive in top condition.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"GROW TROPICALS","offers":[{"title":"9cm \/ 0.5L","offer_id":57974337339775,"sku":"KNIPFLAM9","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0361\/9645\/0348\/files\/iStock-1470769424.jpg?v=1784327196"},{"product_id":"kniphofia-rooperi","title":"Kniphofia rooperi","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eKniphofia rooperi\u003c\/strong\u003e, or \u003cstrong\u003eRooper's Red Hot Poker\u003c\/strong\u003e, is the boldest and latest of the red hot pokers, closing the exotic gardening year with fat, rounded flower heads in glowing orange and yellow. Where most kniphofias carry slim torches, rooperi produces distinctly chunky, egg-shaped spikes on strong stems above broad, arching, evergreen foliage. It is an architectural, sun-loving South African perennial that brings fiery late-season colour just as the rest of the border begins to fade.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFlowering through autumn, usually September into October, it is a magnet for bees and other pollinators looking for a last big nectar source. Rated RHS H5, it is fully hardy across most of the UK and shrugs off temperatures down to around -15C once established. It is a genuinely tough, dependable perennial. It is happiest in free-draining soil, and helpfully rooperi copes with more summer moisture than many pokers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHow and where to grow\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePosition:\u003c\/strong\u003e full sun for the best flowering, with a little light shade tolerated; an open, warm spot suits it well.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil:\u003c\/strong\u003e fertile, humus-rich, free-draining loam or sand, acid to neutral, moist in summer but never waterlogged in winter.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e a clump-forming evergreen reaching around 1.2 to 1.5 m tall and up to 1 m across in a few seasons.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHardiness:\u003c\/strong\u003e reliably hardy (RHS H5); the essential is sharp winter drainage, so add grit on heavy ground.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eWater well through the first one or two summers to settle the deep, fleshy roots, after which it becomes impressively resilient. Its evergreen, strappy leaves and torch-like heads make it a natural for \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/exotic-border-plants\"\u003eexotic borders\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/architectural-foliage\"\u003earchitectural planting\u003c\/a\u003e, while its salt and wind tolerance suit it to \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/coastal-plants\"\u003ecoastal and exposed gardens\u003c\/a\u003e. Plant it in drifts as a \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/plants-for-pollinators\"\u003eplant for pollinators\u003c\/a\u003e, or pair it with other \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/hardy-exotics\"\u003ehardy exotics\u003c\/a\u003e such as the evergreen \u003ca href=\"\/products\/trachycarpus-fortunei\"\u003eTrachycarpus fortunei\u003c\/a\u003e for a layered, year-round jungle effect. For how these plants behave through the seasons, see our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/hardy-exotics-what-to-expect\"\u003ehardy exotics, what to expect\u003c\/a\u003e page.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEvery Kniphofia rooperi we supply is nursery-grown, selected for a healthy crown and strong roots, and carefully packed to arrive in top condition.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"GROW TROPICALS","offers":[{"title":"17cm \/ 2L","offer_id":57974342418815,"sku":"KNIPROOP17","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0361\/9645\/0348\/files\/iStock-1722496644.jpg?v=1784326732"}],"url":"https:\/\/growtropicals.com\/collections\/red-hot-pokers.oembed","provider":"GrowTropicals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}