Pyromania™ 'Backdraft' Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia)
Perennial
- Orange, red, and yellow flowers look like they're on fire!
- Grass-like foliage adds texture.
- Drought tolerant and grows well in dry soils.
- Zones 5b - 9, sun, 2.5-3' tall x 2-2.5' wide at maturity.
ZONE
EXPOSURE
HEIGHT
Description
Details
Patent #: PP # 31424
Common name: Tritoma, Red hot poker torch lily
Zone: 5b-9
Sun exposure: Sun (6+ Hours)
Height x width: 2.5-3' tall and 2-2.5' wide
Flower color: Orange, red, and yellow
Foliage color: Green
Bloom season: Summer
Features: Rare & Unusual, rabbit resistant, Proven Winners, low flammability, heat tolerant, drought tolerant, container plants, best for beginners
Uses: Accent, Background, Border, Cottage gardening, Foundation planting, Massing, Naturalizing, Specimen
How to Grow
Light: Full sun.
Water: Average – Drought-tolerant once established.
Spacing: 1.5 – 2 ft.
Fertilizing: Seldom needs fertilizing if soil is good to average. On very poor soils can feed lightly with a general-purpose, or timed-release fertilizer before new growth begins in spring.
Winterizing: Add a 2-3″ layer of shredded bark mulch in cold regions for protection.
Maintenance & Pruning: Deadhead spent flowers by cutting the flower stem at the base.
Plant spacing is based on the ultimate width of the plants. This figure is normally given as a range; for example, 3-5’. If you live in a cold climate and/or want plants to fill in more quickly, plan to space at the shorter end of the range. If you live in a warm climate, are on a limited budget, or are willing to wait longer for plants to touch, use the higher end of the range. Using the larger number is recommended when calculating distance from a building or structure. There’s really no such thing as "maximum spacing": if you don’t want your plants to touch, you can space them as far apart as you’d like. All plant spacing is calculated on center, or in other words, the centers of the plants are spaced one half of their eventual width apart:
Unless you are planting in a straight line, as you might for hedges or edging, space your plants in a staggered or zig-zag pattern for a more interesting and naturalistic look:
Not sure just how many plants will fit in your garden? Our calculator gives you the exact amount of plants required for your space. Simply update the values and the calculator will re-calculate accordingly. Spacing information can be found in the 'How to Grow' tab on each plant's page.
My Red Hot Poker plants were delayed a day but the shipper and it was excessively hot all across the US. I am in Seattle so there has a long journey. They were a bit bedraggled and the one bloom start didn’t survive. I planted them and much of the original foliage has turned brown but there is a lot of healthy green. I’m hopeful they will survive with daily watering and plenty of sun.
Quick service..in condition promised, and had blooms within a week! Will def order again!
One has bloomed, the other 2 no bloom yet and don’t see anything to bloom
Thank you for your feedback! It’s surprisingly normal for newly transplanted plants to appear like they aren’t growing. That’s because most of the growth occurs below ground in their first year as they allocate more energy to root development. Once your plant is established, it will start investing more in shoot and flower development. To learn more about how plants “sleep, creep, and leap”, read our FAQ here: https://bit.ly/FAQ-plant-growth
These wer stunning in the garden. The colors are brilliant and really stand out. Will probably buy more next year.
fThe flower is just starting to develop and it's growing beautifully. Can't wait for it to bloom.
The plants arrived in great shape. I planted them right away, had to make a wire cage to protect them from critters that love to eat my plants. I imagine I won’t see any blooms this season so I am reviewing only on the quality of the plant and the fact that they have taken root well and seem to be thriving. Maybe next season I will be able to see the beautiful blooms.
When we receivd themin late May with only one small bud, we did not know iwhen they would bloom, but both plants bloomed within 1 month and we had steady blooms throughout the summer. They are beautiful and people often ask what they are.
These came to me very healthy and are already blooming beautiful flowers. I could not be any happier with my purchase
I have tried buying plants from other online suppliers and didn't have success. The plants from you showed up in amazing shape and started to bud within days of being planted. You have a lifetime customer in me!
but no flowers
Hello! When transplanting young plants from a nursery pot to a garden, the plant allocates more energy to root development instead of shoot development (above ground). It's important for them to develop a robust root system so they can actually absorb the nutrients and water in the soil around them. Then after their root system is more developed they'll invest in their shoots and flower development. They generally spend their first year growing roots in their new home, the second year they have more energy to put into growth, and the third year, they are growing and flowering vigorously. This applies to plants in the garden center as well as plants you purchase online. We hope this helps. Happy Gardening!
This beautiful flower arrived in the best packaging I’ve ever seen. The plant was gorgeous. I didn’t expect it to bloom this year but was so delighted to see it bloom in about two weeks. It’s still blooming. Absolutely love it. I’ve already ordered more plants and will continue to do so.
One flowering one not. Should look great next year.
Ordered 3. Came in great shape. All 3 are blooming now and look great!
Unique flower! It arrived at my home well wrapped and in great condition. I planted it about 3 weeks ago and it’s noe producing bloom.
These bloomed right away — what a great surprise. Super bright colors, very pleased with these.
How many of Backdrop Red Hot Poker come in a pot? Quart size or otherwise?
Hi! There is one plant in each one quart container.
How large and how mature what size container are the pyromania plants for approximately $18 each? Do you have them in the bright red not orange?
Hello! We have red hot poker in a one quart size. Plant size varies widely depending on the variety that you purchase and the time of year. You can see all the red hot pokers we offer here:
Is it too late to purchase & plant Pyromania in NM at 6,200'?
Hi there! In general, planting guidelines for perennials suggest planting either in the spring after the threat of frost has passed, or in the early fall to allow plants time to establish before winter.
What does it mean to dead head half after bloom for the pryromania? I I know dead head, but I don’t know what half after bloom means?
Thanks for your message, this was an error and we have edited the text. These do benefit from being deadheaded, and the way to do that is to cut the entire flower stem out as close as possible to the base once the bloom has faded.
Do you have it in red?!
You can view all the red hot poker we currently offer here: https://www.greatgardenplants.com/search?q=poker.