Kniphofia 'Christmas Cheer'
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Kniphofia 'Christmas Cheer'• Click here to visit our Main Plant List page for current availability of this plant
• common names: red-hot poker, torch lily
• flowering season: December, January and February
• height: 2 to 3 feet; if grown in a 2-gallon pot, its height will be 18 to 24 inches
• Light requirements: full sun, half a day of sun will do
• Soil requirements: average to rich and well drained
• Water requirements: will survive in a dry landscape although it will grow better and flower more profusely with regular watering during summer
• Growth habit: grows in a clump
• How to propagate: divide in spring or early summer
• Leaf type: upright, coarsely pointed leaves
• Special characteristics: truly winter-flowering
• cultural note: in warmer climates 'Christmas Cheer' can be planted either in spring or fall; in colder climates it is best planted outdoors only in spring or early summer so that it has enough time to establish itself before cold weather returns in autumn -- or in colder climates, growing it potted in a greenhouse is a good choice, offering you its unusual winter flowers
'Christmas Cheer' has been growing here outdoors without any protection for twenty years, surviving winter temperatures down to +6°F. And to repeat, 'Christmas Cheer' received no covering or other protection during these twenty years. So it survives temperatures well below freezing quite well. However, the flowers cannot take a frost, and because they bloom during December, January and February there is no practical reason to grow this red-hot poker unless you live where winters are very mild or if you have it potted over winter in a greenhouse. Of course winter weather varies from year to year, and some winters we get a mild spell when the flowers bloom well outdoors. The photo of 'Christmas Cheer' shown here was taken in our greenhouse during January of 2011. So, the bottom line is that it is best in a warmer climate such as the Deep South or Southern California. It is one of the brightest plants, even brighter in life than in our photos. It is a hot orange-red, with older flowers turning to light yellow. Height will be 2 to 3 feet. Limited quantity.