# Red Hot Poker (*Kniphofia uvaria*)

The Red Hot Poker is a bright and colorful flower that looks like a torch! It attracts butterflies and hummingbirds, making gardens lively and fun.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 3
- **Habitat:** Gardens
- **Also known as:** Poker Plant

![Red Hot Poker](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Kniphofia_uvaria_%28Xanthorrhoeaceae%29_%284575518939%29.jpg&width=800)

Photo: yakovlev.alexey from Moscow, Russia, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kniphofia_uvaria_%28Xanthorrhoeaceae%29_%284575518939%29.jpg)

## Appearance

The Red Hot Poker has dramatic, torch-like flower spikes that bloom in a fiery gradient. Its densely packed tubular flowers transition from red at the top to orange and yellow towards the base. Long, sword-shaped leaves form a green clump below the vibrant display.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Liliopsida
- **Order:** Asparagales
- **Family:** Asphodelaceae
- **Genus:** Kniphofia

## Interesting facts

- It's sometimes called 'Torch Lily' because its flowers look like little flames!
- Its fiery flower spike resembles a glowing torch, earning it the name 'Red Hot Poker'!
- Its long, sturdy stems stand tall against strong winds, like a plant superhero!
- Some types of Red Hot Poker change flower color as they mature, fading from red to yellow!

## Special abilities

- **Hummingbird Beacon:** Red Hot Poker's bright, tubular flowers attract hummingbirds, ensuring its pollen is spread far and wide.
- **Nectar Fountain:** It offers a continuous supply of sweet nectar to pollinators, drawing them in for efficient reproduction.
- **Drought Buster:** Its tough, strap-like leaves and strong roots help it survive in dry, sunny places where other plants struggle.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 60-150 cm
- **Spread:** 60-90 cm
- **Flower Size:** 2-3 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer to fall
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Bird

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Greater Double-collared Sunbird (*Cinnyris afer*) — Sips sweet nectar while transferring pollen.
- **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Collects pollen and nectar, aiding plant reproduction.
- **Eats:** African Cotton Leafworm (*Spodoptera littoralis*) — Larvae can nibble on the leaves of this plant.

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.
- [Tube Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/tube-flower): A tube flower has petals fused together at the base, forming a distinct tubular structure that typically holds nectar deep within.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always ask an adult before touching or picking flowers.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Red Hot Poker?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Red Hot Poker?

60-150 cm

### How wide does Red Hot Poker spread?

60-90 cm

### How big are the flowers on Red Hot Poker?

2-3 cm

### When does Red Hot Poker bloom?

Summer to fall

### Is Red Hot Poker edible?

No

### Is Red Hot Poker toxic?

Mild

### What is Red Hot Poker's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Hogle Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hogle-zoo) — Utah, US · Zoo
- [Relay](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/relay) — Maryland, US · Historic District

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Red Hot Poker: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-hot-poker)