Plants also range in size from dwarf forms such as white flowered ‘Little Maid’, which is only 60cm (24″) tall, up to bold clumps that are 1.5-2m tall in flower.Īll enjoy a spot in full sun with good drainage, although they will grow in part shade. Some are winter flowering, such as the red and orange variety ‘Winter Cheer’, while others flower in summer and autumn. Kniphofiaĭespite the tag of red hot poker, kniphofias come in a range of colours including red, orange and yellow to almost lime green and white or a combination of these colours.
‘Burke’s Backyard’ visited the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne to look at kniphofias and aloes in full bloom in late winter, and at ways in which they can be used in the backyard. Red hot pokers, whether aloes or kniphofias, can be used to add a strong architectural statement to a garden as they have bold leaves, grow in clumps and have tall spires of flowers. The plants are both members of the lily family, Liliaceae.Īlthough mainly native to parts of Africa these plants are highly attractive to native nectar feeding birds such as wattlebirds or rosellas, which feast in the flower spikes. The other, also from Africa, is a perennial called kniphofia, which forms a tufted, grass-like clump. One is the aloe, a succulent plant from Africa.
There are two plants which have striking red flower spires in winter.