Red Hot Poker Royal Castle is a striking perennial with an exotic appearance. Red hot poker is also known as Torch lily. Red Hot Poker Royal Castle originates from Africa, with the main distribution of Red Hot Poker species in South Africa. From a clump of long, narrow, sword-shaped grey-green leaves emerge sturdy, almost leafless flower stems bearing striking torch-shaped flower spikes. The densely packed, tubular flowers gradually change colour during flowering from warm orange-red and orange to yellow and yellow-green, creating the characteristic two-toned ‘red hot poker’ effect.
Red Hot Poker Royal Castle is a tall, beautiful and exotic-looking plant, with flower stems rising well above the lower-growing foliage. Its height and strong vertical form make it particularly suitable for the middle or back of a flower border, along a sunny wall or fence. It also looks particularly attractive in naturalistic or prairie-style plantings. Over time, the plant develops into a substantial clump approximately 40 to 60 cm wide.
As Red Hot Poker Royal Castle flowers from July till September, it is a valuable plant for summer and late-summer borders. Spent flower stems can be removed to keep the plant looking tidy and to help prolong the flowering period as much as possible. The sturdy flower stems also make excellent cut flowers.
Red Hot Poker Royal Castle prefers a warm, sunny and somewhat sheltered position. Flowering is generally most abundant in full sun. The soil may be fertile and moderately moisture-retentive during the growing season, but above all it should be well drained. Prolonged wet conditions, particularly during winter, are poorly tolerated. On heavy or wet soils, it is therefore advisable to improve drainage or plant slightly raised. In a suitable position, Red Hot Poker Royal Castle is winter hardy and can remain in the same place for many years.
Thanks to its strong, upright flower spikes, Red Hot Poker Royal Castle combines particularly well with plants that have a looser, rounded or more airy growth habit. Attractive companions include Echinacea, Rudbeckia, Helenium, Achillea and Agastache. Ornamental grasses such as Stipa, Panicum and Pennisetum are also excellent partners; their fine, swaying stems provide a beautiful contrast with the strong, upright flower spikes.
For a warm, fiery border, Red Hot Poker Royal Castle can be combined with Crocosmia, Helenium, Rudbeckia and Dahlia in shades of yellow, orange and red. For a stronger colour contrast, combine the orange-red flowers with blue- and purple-flowering plants such as Salvia, Nepeta and Verbena bonariensis. The airy purple flowers of Verbena growing between and above the Red Hot Pokers create a particularly attractive effect.
Plant Red Hot Poker Royal Castle approximately 40 to 50 cm apart from other plants. A single plant already provides a striking vertical accent, while groups of three or five create a stronger effect in a larger border. Older clumps can be divided in spring to rejuvenate the plant and produce new plants at the same time. Red Hot Poker Royal Castle is highly attractive to bees, butterflies, bumblebees, hoverflies and other beneficial insects. Red Hot Poker Royal Castle flowers from July to September. Hardy perennial. Height: 80 - 120 cm.
Indoor sowing: February - April
Outdoor sowing: mid-May - mid-July
Germination: 7 - 25 days
Germination temp.: 18 - 23 °C
Sowing depth: ¼ cm
Planting distance: 40 cm
Distance between the rows: 40 cm
Planting position: sunny
Flowering period: July - September (2nd year after sowing)
Sow in trays indoors or outdoors under glass from February to April. Sow the seeds on the surface and cover with a thin layer of seed compost. Red Hot Poker needs light to germinate. Cover the tray with a lid and keep the seeds well moist.
Remove the lid as soon as the seedlings emerge. Transplant the seedlings into individual pots once they are approximately 7 cm tall. Start hardening them off at the beginning of May for approximately 14 days. Plant them outdoors after 15 May (after the risk of frost has passed) in a sunny position with some light shade if necessary.
From mid-May to mid-July, sow directly outdoors in a seedbed. Gently press the seeds into the soil and cover with a thin layer of seed compost. Keep the soil well moist and free from weeds. Once the seedlings are large enough to handle, thin them to a spacing of 40 cm. Transplant them to their final position from October to November in a very sunny location with some light shade if necessary.
As Red Hot Poker takes time to establish from seed, the plants will generally start flowering in the second year after sowing, from July through September. Protect the plants against severe frost during winter by covering them with old leaves or mulch. The plants can also be propagated by division. Divided plants may need time to re-establish and may not flower again until the following year.
