Torch lily (Kniphofia spp. and hybrids)
Type: Perennial
Blooms: Yellow, red, orange, peach, yellow-green or bicolor spikes in late spring into fall
Light: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained
Pests: None serious
Size: 12 to 72 in. tall, 14 to 60 in. wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9
Make a statement with torch lily
Native to South Africa, torch lily (aka Red hot poker plant) takes hot, sunny borders in stride, producing beautiful torchlike blooms that rise on sturdy stems up to 6 feet tall. Species torch lily can be a challenge to find, but there are lots of hybrids available at garden centers and online nurseries.
While bicolor yellow to red-orange is the classic color combination, you’ll also come across solid colors and softer hues. The long, narrow leaves can be deciduous or evergreen. Most torch lilies bloom in early to late summer, but a few, such as ‘Coral’, start flowering in late spring, and ‘Yellow Cheer’ and ‘Alcazar’ take off in late summer and go into late fall unless a hard frost comes first.
Enter for a Chance to Win a 1-Gallon ‘Backdraft’ Torch Lily plant from our Friends at Sooner Plant Farm!
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Attention-getting blooms
Torch lily’s dramatic 4- to 7-inch-long racemes naturally draw attention. Plant one to highlight a seating area you’d like guests to visit, or strategically place a few along a path to encourage them to continue exploring. Intensify the impact with companions that have contrasting flower shapes. The nodding Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica) blooms in the photo above frame the torch lily flowers nicely and provide a lovely counterpoint.
Nectar-filled blooms attract wildlife & pollinators
California landscape designer Rebecca Sweet loves to incorporate torch lily into her designs because their tubular nectar-filled blooms seem to attract every hummingbird in the neighborhood. But these aren’t the only birds that enjoy torch lily. The plants’ sturdy stems make it possible for heavier birds, such as the Bullock’s oriole in photo 3, to hang on and feed from the flower-packed inflorescence too.
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Designing with torch lily
Torch lily’s bold flower shape and versatile range of colors help set a garden’s mood.
Color choices matter
The orange-and-yellow variety in the photo above practically vibrates against the cobalt-blue wall in the background. Orange and blue are complementary colors (they sit across from each other on the color wheel), so create a lot of contrast when they’re near each other in the garden. In this space, white-flowered ‘Ice Queen’ torch lily would add a totally different energy.
Choose the right size plant
Some species or varieties are quite large. Kniphofia linearifolia is one of the tallest, with stems up to 6 feet tall and 3- to 5-foot-tall foliage. ‘Lady Luck’ is also quite tall, growing 5½-foot-tall stems. These are great when you want color in the middle to back of the border, or a big specimen plant.
Many of the recent torch lily introductions are smaller in stature
‘Hot and Cold’, above, grows to 3 feet tall and almost as wide with upright foliage and tangerine-orange blooms that age to cream. Mixed with dusty pink salvia (Salvia hybrids) in a cottage-style border, this reblooming torch lily keeps interest high all summer.
At the front of the border try pint-sized ‘Mango Popsicle’ or Poco™ Orange. They max out under 2 feet tall and rebloom from summer to frost. They’re great for providing long-lasting color and are more in scale in a small space.
How to grow great torch lily
Torch lily needs full sun to produce dense foliage, strong stems and lots of flowers. It can survive in a range of soil types from sandy to loam and even tolerates salt spray.
Tips for keeping torch lily plants happy
Good drainage is essential to keep these plants coming back year after year. Cold, wet winters in dense soil or a heavy layer of mulch over the crown can cause plants to rot.
- Apply a slow-release plant food in spring every year or scratch in some compost.
- Then put down a 2- to 3-inch layer of organic mulch 6 to 12 inches away from the crown to help conserve moisture and keep soil temperature even.
Torch lily tips from a pro
While torch lily tolerates heat and drought once it’s established, Leslie Hunter, horticulture manager of the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, has found that plants flower better if you water during dry spells, and that deadheading encourages rebloomers to keep producing. Learn how in the photo above. Leslie has been trialing torch lily varieties for years to find ones that will thrive in the humid summers and tough winters of her zone 5 Midwest garden. ‘Hot and Cold’ has been a favorite because it’s so flowery and has survived winter for several years, but the Popsicle and Poco™ series have done well too. Learn more from Leslie in the video above!
Plants can be deciduous or semi-evergreen
Torch lily can have deciduous or semi-evergreen foliage, depending on the species or variety. The deciduous ones tend to be less cold hardy and have thinner leaves that die to the ground in winter. Semi-evergreen types’ leaves are a little thicker and fleshier and hang on through winter. But torch lily isn’t a plant that you’d grow specifically for winter interest. Whichever type you grow, leave the foliage in place through winter to protect the crown. In spring cut the foliage back to within 3 to 4 inches of the crown to allow fresh new growth to take off.
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Divide plants in spring to get more torch lilies
An established torch lily can live happily for years in the same place so there’s no need to divide unless you really want to spread it around your garden or share some with a friend. Divide in spring before the foliage comes up so it’s easy to see what you’re doing. But if you miss that opportunity like we did in the photos above, it won’t hurt the plant. Dig up the dense root ball and either cut or pull it apart into smaller clumps — it might be easier to pull newer pieces off the edges. The center is usually more tightly packed and needs cutting with a sharp spade or fork.
Torch lily seeds
In ideal conditions torch lily may reseed, but hybrids won’t look like the parent plant. You can also start your own and save a little money. Most seed types are a mix of shades in orange-red and yellow — ‘Flamenco’ is one variety you’ll often find. Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last frost date, and keep the medium 70 to 75 degrees F for germination in 10 to 20 days. Keep scrolling to take a look at some of the varieties you’ll find at the garden center.
Meet different types of torch lilies
Traditionally, torch lily has red or orange-red buds that open from the bottom up and mature to yellow. It’s a showy bicolor bloom you can’t miss. But recent breeding has given gardeners more flower colors and plant sizes to choose from than ever before. Most are sold in pots at the garden center or online nurseries, but a few can be started from seed. Take a look at these torch lily hybrids and see which ones you’ll want for your own garden.
Torch lily plant sources
- Digging Dog Nursery | 707-937-1235
- Sooner Plant Farm | 918-453-0771
