Kniphofia 'Papaya Popsicle'
Overview
Uses: Sunny borders, hot and dry sites, outdoor containers, hummingbird gardens, cutting gardens.
Benefits: A red hot poker scaled down to fit a real garden bed. Two-tone red and yellow spikes rise barely above a neat, grassy clump, and the plant reblooms in succession from early summer into fall rather than firing once and quitting.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 6–9
Sun: Full sun
Life Cycle: Hardy Perennial
Growth Habit: Clumping, upright — grassy tuft with stout flower scapes
Bloom Color: Red and yellow
Mature Height: 12–20 in.
Mature Width: 18 in.
Bloom Season: Early summer into fall
Growth Rate: Fast
Summary
The old objection to red hot pokers was scale. They were four or five feet of coarse, floppy foliage that bloomed hard for two weeks and then sulked for the rest of the summer.
'Papaya Popsicle' is the corrective. The foliage clump is fine-textured and grassy, holding around a foot, and the flower scapes rise to roughly 20 inches — small enough to sit near the front of a bed or anchor a container. The spikes carry tubular flowers in ripe papaya shades, red in bud and opening yellow from the base upward, so each one displays both colors simultaneously.
The bigger improvement is timing. Rather than one flush, spikes come in succession from June through October. Cut the spent ones and the plant simply sends more.
Hummingbirds find it quickly and work it persistently. Deer and rabbits leave it alone. In a hot, well-drained spot it asks for very little.
Care
Papaya Popsicle Red Hot Poker Care
Full sun, all day. Kniphofia will survive partial shade but flowers noticeably less.
Drainage is the single factor that determines whether this plant thrives or dies, and it matters most in winter. Sandy or gritty soil enriched with some organic matter is ideal; any deep, well-drained soil will do. Standing water on the crown in cold weather is fatal. In heavier ground, amend with grit or plant on a raised mound.
Water regularly through the first season. After that, established plants are markedly drought tolerant, though they bloom more generously with occasional deep watering.
Feeding is optional. On lean soil, a single spring application of slow release fertilizer supports the long bloom cycle.
Remove flower scapes at the base as they finish to keep new ones coming. Cutting the foliage back by about half after the main flush tidies the clump.
Going into winter, either tie the foliage up over the crown or cut it off at the base in late fall. Both approaches keep water from collecting in the crown, which is the usual cause of winter loss at the cold edge of its range.
Divide every three to five years by separating offsets from the outside of the clump in spring. Plants left undivided much longer than that decline.
Container growing: water when the top inch of mix is dry and never let the pot sit in a saucer of standing water. Use a gritty, free-draining mix. Feed lightly every four to six weeks in active growth. Plants hardy in the ground may require winter protection when grown in containers in colder zones.
Size
What Size is the Papaya Popsicle Red Hot Poker for Sale Online?
Our Papaya Popsicle Red Hot Poker ships in a greenhouse-grade grow pot and is appropriately sized for its container at the time of shipment. Plants may arrive with buds or blooms during the active growing season. If you have specific sizing or planting questions, please contact us.
How Large Does Papaya Popsicle Red Hot Poker Grow?
Expect a mature height of about 12–20 in. and a spread of roughly 18 in. in the garden. Growth rate is fast. If you have questions about spacing for your site, please contact us.
Additional Information
What are some common names for this plant?
Three are in common use, listed from most to least frequent:
- Red hot poker
- Torch lily
- Tritoma
How tall does it actually get?
The leaf clump holds around 12 inches and spreads to roughly 18. Flower scapes carry the spikes to about 20 inches. Published figures vary a little because some sources measure foliage and others measure to the top of the bloom.
Why is it hardy only to Zone 6 when other perennials in the border go colder?
Kniphofia originates in the mountain grasslands of South Africa, and its winter limitation is wet more than cold. Crowns that stay saturated through freeze and thaw cycles rot. Sharp drainage and covering or removing the foliage in fall meaningfully extend its reliability at the cold end of the range.
Do hummingbirds really use it?
Consistently. The flowers are tubular and nectar-rich, which is close to a template for hummingbird pollination. The long succession of bloom means the plant stays useful to them from early summer through fall rather than for a week or two.
Is it deer resistant?
Reliably so, and rabbits generally pass on it as well. No plant is entirely deer proof under enough pressure, but this one sits near the resistant end of the range.
