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| Category: Perennial |
| Family: Asphodelaceae (~Liliaceae) |
| Origin: South Africa (Africa) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Orange Red |
| Bloomtime: Fall/Spring |
| Parentage: (K. rooperi hybrid) |
| Height: 3-4 feet |
| Width: Clumping |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 10-15° F |
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Kniphofia 'Christmas Cheer' (Christmas Cheer Poker Plant) - This variety blooms in the fall, winter and spring, making it a rather unique poker. It is a large plant with foliage 3 to 4 feet in an ever-widening clump with old clumps noted to be 8 to 10 feet wide that produces its flowers on stout stems to 5 to 6 feet tall capped by a spike of reddish-orange tubular flowers. Plant in full sun. Irrigate occasionally to very little in coastal gardens. Hardy to below 15 degrees F but winter flowers may be damaged with frost. Cutting the spent flower spikes out to the base will make the plant more attractive and promote longer flowering. This plant was introduced by the Huntington Botanic Garden in the 1970s and is considered to be a hybrid with Kniphofia rooperi the seed parent crossed with an unknown pollen parent. John MacGregor, long time horticulturist at the Huntington Botanical Gardens noted that this plant is one of the best winter hummingbird plants he knew of for mild climates. 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.
This information about Kniphofia 'Christmas Cheer' displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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