Citrus Sunrise is a red hot poker bred to flower early, up to two weeks ahead of standard types. Its golden yellow torches rise well above a clump of wider-than-usual, grassy leaves, and good rebloom keeps the color going into late summer.
Plants reach about 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide, making a strong vertical accent in the middle of a sunny border. Hummingbirds, bees and butterflies visit the flowers, it tolerates drought and salt, and deer and rabbits seldom bother it. The spikes also work well as cut flowers.
What it looks like
Dense, club-shaped flower spikes packed with drooping, tubular golden yellow florets, held on stout, bare stems well above the foliage. Leaves are long, arching and grass-like, slightly wider than typical for the plant, in mid-green. The plant forms a clump of foliage about 2 feet tall with flower spikes reaching 32 to 36 inches, and spreads 22 to 26 inches wide. Several spikes rise at once. At peak the clump is topped with a cluster of glowing yellow torches.
Growing it with lavender
Red hot poker likes the same full sun and sharp, lean drainage as lavender, and its upright spikes make a bold vertical contrast rising behind mounds of purple lavender in summer.
Care
Plant in full sun in well-drained soil, lean to average; it handles drought once established but will rot in soggy winter soil. Hardy in zones 6-9, and in colder spots a winter mulch and a sheltered, well-drained site help. Cut spent flower spikes at the base to encourage more blooms, and leave the foliage standing over winter, tidying it in spring.
At a glance
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Botanical name: Kniphofia
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Flower color: Golden yellow
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Foliage: Mid-green
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Growth habit: Upright clump of arching, grassy leaves
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Mature size: 32–36 in tall × 22–26 in wide
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USDA hardiness zones: 6–9
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Light: full sun
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Bloom start: Mid-June
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Peak bloom: Early-July
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Bloom pattern: Repeat Blooming
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Deer resistance: Moderately resistant
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Pollinator value: Excellent
Sizes and shipping
Dormant bare-root plant, sold in boxes of 25 per variety (order in multiples of 25). Bare-root plants ship or are picked up March 1–May 31 only. They are soil-free, so they may ship to every state in that window. Dormant plants often show little or no top growth on arrival; plant or heel them in promptly.
Lavender companion · grow guide
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