High Roller is a tall red hot poker with bicolor torches: coral orange buds open to creamy white flowers, so each neat spike shows both colors at once. It blooms for many weeks starting in early to midsummer.
The spikes reach 3 to 4 feet over a large clump of grassy leaves. It is hardy to zone 6, and in colder areas a sheltered, well-drained spot and winter mulch improve its chances. It is a standout in a sunny border, draws hummingbirds, and is seldom bothered by deer or rabbits.
What it looks like
Tall, perfectly formed club-shaped flower spikes with coral orange tubular florets at the top fading to creamy white florets toward the bottom, creating a two-tone torch. Spikes rise on stout, bare stems well above a large clump of long, arching, grass-like green leaves. The plant grows 36 to 48 inches tall in flower and 24 to 28 inches wide. At peak many bicolor torches stand upright above the foliage.
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
-
Botanical name: Kniphofia
-
Flower color: Coral orange buds opening creamy white
-
Foliage: Green
-
Growth habit: Large clump of arching, grassy leaves
-
Mature size: 36 in–4 ft tall × 24–28 in wide
-
USDA hardiness zones: 6–9
-
Light: full sun
-
Bloom start: Late-June
-
Peak bloom: Mid-July
-
Bloom pattern: Long Blooming
-
Deer resistance: Moderately resistant
-
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
Community Grower Report
