Iris, Hedera, Jovibarba, Kniphofia - 1, Kniphofia - 2,
Large leaved perennials, Pelargonium x domesticum, Grasses, Primula, Seeds,
Sempervivum, Viola, Western Natives, Shrubs & Trees, Additional Plants
Percy's PrideThis is not the tallest torch lily, although the size of its flowerheads are likely the largest I have seen. The huge long heads of flowers are in lime green and the palest of yellows, and are much anticipated here in late summer. This is very vigorous. The length of the flower stems is three feet. A group of several plants is a spectacular sight.
PfitzeriTwo toned, orange-red above and yellow below. Blooms in early summer, with the flower stems three feet in length.
Primrose BeautyThis flower has been available for many years. It survives well in colder parts of the country. It is a solid lemon yellow with just a hint of green, flowering in late summer with stems to three feet. Our summers are generally cool, and whether we are having a slightly warmer or slightly cooler summer does change the coloring, with their color being a little darker in some years.
Primrose MascotteIts color is between the light tint of 'Primrose Beauty' and the dark tone of 'Goldmine,' in other words a lemon yellow with a shading of amber. Flowers show in mid summer with a stem length of two to three feet.
Robin HoodNot two-toned but a solid coral red with flowers becoming slightly paler as they age. This shows in late spring with a second season of bloom possible in fall. Occasionally it flowers here in late winter as it did one year, in 1995, flowering on Valentine's Day. Its height is two and a half feet to four feet.
Roman CandleA small, thumbnail photo cannot do justice to the subtle coloring of this bright flower. In case you are wondering what a Roman candle is, it is an elongated cylinder that shoots out jets of sparks and fireballs, originally from Italy. The shape of its flowerspike is particularly long and tapering, when well grown. Flowering in July with stems to three feet, it was introduced by us in 1997.
rooperiA late summer to fall flower is this species, rooperi. It is tall at four feet with large flowerheads that are globe shaped.
Rosea SuperbaFlowers in early summer at a height of two and a half to four feet, in a soft red with prominent yellow pistels and stamens.
Royal StandardA plant that is not new, but that is uncommon is 'Royal Standard.' Other nurseries in the Pacific Northwest are buying it from us so it will become easier to find. Its colors are a lemon yellow with the top third of the torch being a scarlet tipped in lemon. Flowers appear in July and August on stems of three to four feet. This plant's warm colors are custom-made for our oftentimes cloudy skies of the Northwest.
sarmentosaTruly winter flowering here, this plant was brought back from a trip to San Francisco ten years ago, where it was flowering in January and February alongside the similarly appearing aloes. Our winters are colder than San Francisco's so the flowers will not last very long. With luck there will be enough warmth during January to enjoy them. More than a degree or two below freezing will cause the buds and open flowers to turn black, and another year has to pass before gambling again on their flowering. Plants in the ground have survived well with temperatures down to +6°F. Plants spread by runners, which is characteristic of only a few kniphofias. Another one that spreads this way is the species thomsonii.
ShenandoahAbout fifteen years ago I purchased several plants of this from a nursery located in the Appalachian foothills of Virginia that specializes in growing perennials. This plant can take a greater degree of winter cold. It blooms in late spring to early summer. The flowers are orange-red and yellow, with a height of three to four feet. It grows robustly, eventually reaching massive clumps. We are guessing that this plant has been grown in the Shenandoah Valley for many years, being passed from neighbor to neighbor, and eventually reaching the attention of the nursery that sold some to us. The plants from Virginia are identical in every way to a kniphofia growing for many years around our town of Sequim, three thousand miles from Virginia. It cannot be proven, but I have to believe that this plant has not only been shared from neighbor to neighbor, but also from coast to coast, and also around the world. And even though it may have different names in different places, is one and the same thing.
The photo on the right is a clump of this in our town in Washington State. The clump is over ten feet across at its widest point. Is it one plant ? Most people will think not. However we have been watching this for twenty-five years. Twenty-five years ago it was fairly large, but not close to this size. So it does spread wider with time, whether or not this started as a single plant or as a group.
Shining SceptreThe color is a golden tangerine, comning in mid to late summer with spikes to three feet. It is a unique and lovely color for an herbaceous perennial. Combines nicely with white, yellow and blue flowers.
SpringtimeIt is curious how plants are named, this flowering in mid summer instead of spring. In July and August appear these in a coral red on the top half and light yellow, sometimes creamy white, on the lower half. One of the hardier kniphofias. Height is two and a half to three feet.
Strawberries and CreamA delightful dwarf that Beth Chatto named, this flower is much less frequently encountered in this country than another of her dwarf torch lilies, 'Little Maid.' 'Strawberries and Cream' grows to a height of eighteen inches or a bit more, and blooms during the later half of summer.
Sun KissedA new plant, this is from Morning Glory Farms. Another of their varieties is listed here, 'Mango Tango.' With a year or two's nuturing, it will be made available. Plants produce better flowers than the one shown in this photo. It is used to give you a picture of the color, and will be replaced with a better picture next season.
Sunningdale YellowThis flowers in early summer and reaches a height of three feet or slightly more. There are similarities in its early season and flower color with the variety, 'Yellow Hammer.' The differences are, that for 'Sunningdale Yellow,' the green buds turn to yellow more quickly, and the flower head is narrower. It flowers for about six weeks with some additional light flowering towards autumn.
The RocketThis variety has been impossible to find for some years. An older name for it was Mount Etna. Its flower is extremely similar to the variety named 'Alcazar,' which is pictured elsewhere in these pages. It is possible that they are the same plant. They seem to be different from each other for one characteristic, namely their heights. Oftentimes 'Alcazar' is lower and 'The Rocket' easily reaches to six feet after a couple of years. However this difference may be due to age and their growing conditions. We have tried growing them side-by-side for the best comparison, but the jury is still "out" on making a decision. A group of five or six plants of 'The Rocket' are the tall kniphofias pointed out by the white arrow at the back of this perennial border, easily reaching over six feet.
thomsonii var. thomsoniiThe flower stems grow to five feet tall, with a slightly leaning curve that is characteristic of the plant. Plants will send up many flower stems, one after another for most of the summer. The individual flowers are widely spaced on the stems, of a soft but striking orange. Other colors are said to occur in this species, however ours are all the soft orange, being divisions. Another trait are the runners that the plants produce, not running very far, but doing this rather than staying in a tight clump as is more typical of kniphofias.
TimothyA recent purchase, Jane Taylor's description of it in “The Plantsman” reads, “bronze buds, matching the dark stem, open to soft pink flowers just fading to cream, August - September. 100cm (40 in.).” Its soft coloring would be widely useable in the garden.
Toffee NosedIt is in flower for an extremely long time, and for this reason and for its subtle coloring of cream and light brown it is a favorite. Its height is two feet.
Towers of GoldIf you visit Santa Rosa, California be sure to stop in at the home of Luther Burbank, who lived from 1849 to 1926. Plants of 'Towers of Gold' decorate his home, for it is one of his creations. It is a large flowered plant appearing near summer's end. Why isn't this flower easier to find? Height is two and a half to three feet.
tuckiiPlease read the description for 'Atlanta' and 'Shenandoah,' for information about tuckii.
typhoidesThe leaves and the growth of this species appear less like a red-hot poker than they do of a cattail, being strap-like and arranged in two rows rather than in a circle around a center point. Even the flower has a resemblance less like a poker than to a cattail, with a long, brown flower cluster. But this is not a cattail, only reminescent of one. Blooms in fall with flowers that are nicely fragrant.
Vanilla'Vanilla' is not white or cream, but a very pale yellow. Her flowers appear here in mid to late summer, and although the flowers are smallish and dainty, the flower stems are often between three and four feet in height.
Wayside FlameTo quote the 1988 Wayside Gardens catalog, “tremendously valuable as a late flowering subject, 'Wayside Flame' lights up the darkest fall day with its vibrant orange red. Plants have grassy foliage that grows two and a half to three feet high, topped by poker shaped scarlet racemes from September to November.” And is “winter hardy in Michigan.” It grows lower here, more in the range of two feet to two and a half feet. One of the last to bloom in fall and very colorful.
Yellow CheerFlowering late in the summer and well into autumn, 'Yellow Cheer' has large, rounded flowers of an unusual color of yellow leaning towards the color of pumpkins. It is between three and four feet tall.
Yellow HammerThis is a pure, rich yellow of early summer that we obtained a decade ago through the generosity of John Whittlesey of Canyon Creek Nursery, 3527 Dry Creek Road, Oroville, California 95965, who, for many years, has been one of the best sources of choice and hard-to-find plants, including kniphofias. Its growth is strong and robust with flower stems reaching three to four feet. Along with the variety, 'Elizabeth Pierce,' we like it planted with Siberian irises, as they bloom together in a pleasing combination.
Dwarf, late flowering very lightly colored seedling
Difficult to describe in words with a range of subtle coloring, flowering in mid summer
Demure two-toned spring flowering seedling
Dwarf, spring to early-summer flowering lemon yellow, re-flowering again later in summer, with a nicer form to the flowerheads than shown by our photo
Off-white with a touch of light brown and a fair amount of green on the parts of the flowers closest to the stems; medium sized and early flowering
