Kniphofia caulescens Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Kniphofia caulescens — 11cm / 0.75L11cm / 0.75L
Caulescent Red Hot Poker (Regal Torch Lily)

Kniphofia caulescens

£8.99
Hardy in the UKSun-lovingEvergreenLoved by pollinators
Pot size
11cm / 0.75L £8.99

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Description

Kniphofia caulescens is the architectural, evergreen red hot poker, prized as much for its foliage as its flowers. Bold rosettes of broad, blue-grey, almost succulent-looking leaves sit on short, stout stems, giving a sculptural, year-round presence that few hardy perennials can match. In late summer thick stems carry fat pokers that open deep coral-red and mellow to soft cream and lemon, a two-tone torch above the glaucous mound.

Rated RHS H5, it is a fully hardy perennial that shrugs off temperatures down to around -15C once established. Unlike the deciduous garden pokers it is evergreen, holding its striking foliage right through winter, so it should never be cut back. Native to the high Drakensberg mountains of South Africa and Lesotho, it is built for tough conditions provided the ground drains sharply in winter.

Water through the first summer to establish, after which it is robust and fairly drought-tolerant, earning its place in dry and gravel gardens. Its evergreen structure makes it a standout in sunny exotic borders and a superb feature among other hardy exotics. It grows well in a large container too, so it suits our plants for pots and containers, and its nectar-rich autumn pokers place it among the best plants for pollinators. Pair it with the deciduous Kniphofia 'Royal Castle' for a long, layered season of colour.

Every plant we supply is nursery-grown, selected for a healthy crown and strong roots, and packed with care to arrive in superb condition.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Caulescent Red Hot Poker (Regal Torch Lily)

Plant me in full sun and I will stand a UK winter outdoors.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Caulescent Red Hot Poker (Regal Torch Lily)

Kniphofia caulescens needs full sun and moist but well-drained soil. It is hardy to around −15°C and stands a UK winter outdoors.

Good for

Dry & Gravel Gardens Exotic Borders Pots & Containers Wildlife & Pollinators

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

RHS H5 · Hardy Exotic · down to around −15°C

reliably hardy and evergreen in the UK, given good drainage.

Position

Full sunSouth-facingWest-facingExposedSheltered

full sun, in an open spot, to keep the blue-grey rosettes tight and well coloured.

Soil

LoamSandMoist but well-drainedAcid pHNeutral pH

fertile, free-draining loam or sand on acid to neutral ground; sharp winter drainage is key.

Watering

Water through the first summer to settle the roots. Once established it is robust and fairly drought-tolerant. Simply pull away any dead outer leaves and spent spikes; there is no need to cut the evergreen clump back. Read moreShow less

Water through the first summer to settle the roots. Once established it is robust and fairly drought-tolerant. Simply pull away any dead outer leaves and spent spikes; there is no need to cut the evergreen clump back.

Mature size

Height1-1.2 m
Spread0.6-0.75 m

Reaches full size in 2-5 years

Growth habit

Tufted

Flowering

Aug-Oct · Cream, Orange, Red

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Evergreen

Pruning

Evergreen, so simply pull away dead leaves and spent spikes; do not cut the whole plant back.

Toxicity

No reported toxicity to people or pets; red hot pokers are generally considered non-toxic, though the sap and pollen may cause minor skin or eye irritation in sensitive individuals.

Native range

S. Africa, Lesotho (Drakensberg)

Family

Asphodelaceae

Also known as

Kniphofia caulescens

Genus

Kniphofia
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Kniphofia caulescens evergreen and hardy in the UK?

Yes to both. Kniphofia caulescens is rated RHS H5, hardy across most of the UK and tolerant of roughly -15C once established. Unusually for a red hot poker it is evergreen, holding its bold blue-grey foliage right through winter, so it gives structure all year and is not cut back.

What does the foliage of Kniphofia caulescens look like?

It forms bold, arching rosettes of broad, blue-grey, almost succulent-looking leaves on short, stout stems. This glaucous evergreen foliage is strongly architectural and looks striking even when the plant is not in flower.

How big does Kniphofia caulescens get?

Expect a substantial clump around 1 to 1.2 m tall in flower and roughly 0.6 to 0.75 m across, reaching full size in two to five years. The tall, sturdy spikes rise well clear of the foliage mound.

What colour are the flowers and when do they appear?

Fat, bottlebrush pokers open deep coral-red and mature to soft cream and lemon-yellow from the base up, giving a two-tone torch effect. They are borne from late summer into autumn on thick, upright stems.

How do I prune an evergreen red hot poker like Kniphofia caulescens?

Because it is evergreen, do not cut the whole plant back. Simply pull away dead outer leaves and spent flower spikes by hand as needed to keep the rosettes tidy. See our hardy exotics: what to expect guide for seasonal care.

Where is the best place to grow Kniphofia caulescens?

Use it as an architectural focal point in a sunny, free-draining spot, superb in our exotic border plants and gravel gardens. Its nectar-rich autumn pokers also make it valuable among our plants for pollinators.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
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Packaged with Care

Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

Sustainability at Heart

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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Kniphofia caulescens
£8.99