Product Field NotesCompanion Plants
Lady Luck Red Hot Poker: Tall Lime and White Torches
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Lady Luck red hot poker is the red hot poker that is neither red nor hot. Its chartreuse-green buds open to white tubular flowers, so each tall, slender spike shades from lime at the tip to white below. It reaches 5 to 5½ feet in flower over a very large fountain of arching, grassy leaves, adding real height without taking up much ground.
It also blooms later than most pokers, from mid to late summer, and packs the clump with spikes for a long show.
Lady Luck at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Kniphofia 'Lady Luck' |
| Flowers | Chartreuse buds opening white |
| Foliage | Very large fountain of arching, grassy leaves |
| Size | 60 to 66 inches tall in flower, 36 to 42 inches wide |
| Bloom | Starts mid-July, peaks early August, long blooming |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 6-9 |
| Light | Full sun |
| Wildlife | Great for hummingbirds and bees; moderately deer resistant |
A cool-toned partner for lavender
Most red hot pokers contrast with lavender by heat: orange against purple. Lady Luck does it with calm. Lime and white sit quietly beside purple and silver, so the planting looks fresh rather than fiery. It also starts in mid-July, as many lavenders are finishing, so its tall torches take over the bed's vertical role right when the lavender spikes are cut.
At over 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide, it belongs at the very back, or as a single specimen at the end of a lavender row. Both plants share full sun and sharp, lean drainage. Map the heights in the Companion Plant Planner.
Planting and care
- Site: full sun, lean to average soil and sharp drainage. It rots in soggy winter soil.
- Water: regularly while it establishes, then sparingly; it handles drought once settled.
- Deadheading: cut spent spikes at the base to encourage more.
- Humidity: fine in humid summers in full sun with good drainage.
- Winter: much of Michigan is the cold end of its range. Leave foliage standing, mulch after the ground freezes and tidy leaves in spring.
For cutting
Lady Luck is a good cut flower, and its long, sturdy stems make a dramatic vertical in a tall vase. It does not dry well. Pair the lime-and-white spikes with late lavender stems for an unusual summer arrangement.
The bare root format
Lady Luck is offered as a bare root plant. Plant it in spring, once the soil can be worked, with the crown just at the soil surface, and water until new leaves appear. See the product page for current availability. Not sure if your garden is warm enough? Check the USDA Zone Finder.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called a red hot poker if it is white?
Red hot poker is the common name for the whole group, Kniphofia. Lady Luck is one of the cool-colored forms.
Will it flop?
Its stout stems usually stand on their own in lean soil and full sun.
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