| Kniphofia rooperi | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Asphodelaceae |
| Subfamily: | Asphodeloideae |
| Genus: | Kniphofia |
| Species: | K. rooperi |
| Binomial name | |
| Kniphofia rooperi Lem. | |
| Synonyms | |
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Kniphofia rooperi, Rooper's red-hot poker, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asphodelaceae, native to the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Growing to 1.2 m (3.9 ft) tall, it is a robust evergreen perennial with strap-shaped leaves produced at an angle from the main stem. In autumn the stout central stems bear flattened oval flowerheads consisting of many tubular florets packed closely together. Green in bud, the flowers open to bright red and fade from the base to yellow and brown, thus giving the appearance of a red-hot poker.
K. rooperi is valued in horticulture for its architectural qualities and late season flowering, and is equally at home in the mixed flower border and in more naturalistic plantings. It is hardy down to −15 °C (5 °F). It requires a situation in full sun, which is reliably moist but well-drained. Excessive dryness may prevent flowerheads from forming, while bad drainage can cause the crown to rot. The evergreen foliage may become untidy during the winter months. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
References
- "Asphodelaceae Kniphofia rooperi". International Plant Names Index. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
- "Kniphofia rooperi". The Plant List. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
- Wilson, Matthew (15 November 2003). "How to grow: Kniphofia". The Telegraph. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
- Cooper, Dan (23 September 2014). "Daily Flower Candy: Kniphofia rooperi". The Frustrated Gardener. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
- "RHS Plantfinder - Kniphofia rooperi". Retrieved 3 March 2018.
- "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 56. Retrieved 14 March 2018.