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Kniphofia 'Shining Sceptre' (Orange Hot Poker) - This is a perennial that forms dense clumps of blue-green arching grass-like foliage to 1-2 feet tall by 2 feet wide. In early to midsummer (June-August) are borne the heads of pale yellow-orange flowers on 3 to 4 foot tall copper-colored stems. Flowers in the upper portion of the spike age from pale orange to a bright apricot with those in the lower remain yellow.
Plant in full sun and water regularly. Hardy to 0-10° F. The flowers on this cultivar initiate earlier than most other Kniphofia. There is a bit of confusion about the true identity of this cultivar.
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.
According to an article titled "Pick of the Pokers" in the Fall 2010 issue of The Plantsman, the quarterly published by the Royal Horticultural Society, 'Shining Sceptre' was introduced by Alan Bloom of Bressingham Gardens in 1975 though it appeared to have been lost by the nursery around 1980 and was not listed again in their catalog again until being re-introduced in 1987. There is speculation that the plant later offered as 'Shining Sceptre' was not the original and had been replaced an older cultivar called 'Bees' Sunset', originating from the Bees of Chester Nursery, which had operated between 1938 and 1960. The true 'Shining Sceptre' was originally described as clear yellow shading to primrose-ivory while 'Bees' Sunset was described as having flowers of a glowing gold orange, which better describes the cultivar we are growing. This issue was discovered by Royal Horticultural Society during plant trials of cultivars of Kniphofia conducted from 2007 to 2009 when it was determined that plants submitted as 'Shining Sceptre' were actually 'Bees' Sunset'. Since we received this plant under the name 'Shining Sceptre' and it has market recognition under this name we continued to offer it as such but provide this additional information for clarification. We grew this attractive poker from 1999 until we closed the nursery in 2025.
The information displayed on this page about Kniphofia 'Shining Sceptre' is based on our research conducted about this plant from books in our nursery library as well as from information that is provided by reliable online resources. We also have included our own observations made about it as it grew in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers when we had them in our nursery field. We also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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