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| Category: Perennial |
| Family: Asphodelaceae (~Liliaceae) |
| Origin: South Africa (Africa) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Red & Yellow |
| Bloomtime: Spring/Summer |
| Height: 2-3 feet |
| Width: 3-4 feet |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Deer Tolerant: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 0-10° F |
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Kniphofia uvaria 'Blaze' (Red Hot Poker) - This is a perennial that forms dense clumps of upright, finely toothed leaves to 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide. In the spring and summer, spikes of tubular flowers stand above the foliage. Flowers emerge from top to bottom and because the buds tend to be darker, the upper portion of the "torch" can be red while the bottom is yellow. Plant in well drained soils and give some supplemental irrigation in summer to encourage flower formation. Hardy to below 15 ° F (to around 0° F if it is mulched or the foliage is retained to protect the growth crown). 'Blaze' was a selection San Marcos Growers made several years ago from a very nice K. uvaria found in our seed crop of K. uvaria. The name Kniphofia honors Johann Hieronymus Kniphof (1704 -1763), a German physician and botanist. The pronunciation of this genus is often argued about and while most continue to use the easiest to pronounce versions such as ny-FOE-fee-ah or nee-FOF-ee-a, others argue correctly that the name should follow the pronunciation of the name it commemorates but even for this there are differences of opinion owing to different German regional dialects - one such pronunciation often noted as correct is nip-HOFF-ee-uh while another that is particularly hard to pronounce is k-nip-HOF-ia. Keeping it simple we still use ny-FOE-fee-ah.
The description above is based on our research and observations of this plant growing in our nursery, in our own garden and in other gardens in the Santa Barbara area. We would appreciate hearing from anyone who has additional information about this plant, even if they disagree with what we have written.
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