Torch lilies are grown for their unusual spire-like, bicolor flowers which change color as they open from the bottom up. Their blooming season is late spring through midfall.
‘Red hot poker’ is the local nickname for these bold, handsome natives of Madagascar and tropical South Africa. Brought to England in 1707, they were kept as greenhouse treasures until 1848, when someone had the bright idea of planting them outdoors, and their abiding hardiness was discovered.
The thick, almost succulent leaf blades are evergreen. The long stems topped with a bright burst of color look like flaming torches or glowing pokers, lending the plant its nickname. Torch lily’s scientific name, Kniphofia, was given in honor of 18th century German physician and botanist Johann Hieronymus Kniphof.