Kniphofia 'First Sunrise' PP16036

Common Name: Red Hot Poker, Torch Lily or Tritoma

This floriferous hybrid sets the garden ablaze in color earlier in the season than other hybrids. Loads of solid fluorescent orange, torch-shaped flower spikes stand like upright exclamation points atop a relatively compact clump of green, strappy foliage beginning in early summer (early June in Michigan).

‘First Sunrise’ PP16036 is the product of a planned breeding program conducted by Luit Van Delft of The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to create new compact, early flowering Kniphofia cultivars with attractive flower coloration, and ‘First Sunrise’ PP16036 certainly meets all of those criteria.

Height:

30.0-36.0 Inches

Spread:

16.0-20.0 Inches

Hardiness Zones:

5,6,7,8,9

Flower Color:

Orange Shades

Foliage Color:

Green shades

Sunlight:

Full Sun (> 6 hrs. Direct Sun)

Water Requirements:

Low Water Needs Average Water Needs

Soil Quality:

Poor Soil Quality Average Soil Quality Fertile Soil Quality

Soil Chemistry:

Acidic Soil (pH < 7.0) Neutral Soil (pH = 7.0)

Bloomtime:

Early Summer Midsummer Late Summer

Attracts Wings:

Attracts Butterflies Attracts Hummingbirds

Critter Resistant:

Deer Resistant Rabbit Resistant

Growth Rate:

Medium

Garden Style:

Eclectic Formal Modern Prairie Rock Garden

Other Features:

Border Plant Cut Flower Cut Foliage Drought Tolerant Salt Tolerant Specimen Focal Point

Origin:

Not Native to North America

Kniphofia is a sun lover that likes it hot and dry, though a good supply of water is appreciated when blooming. It can be grown in any well-drained soil.

Kniphofia is evergreen in mild regions and herbaceous in cooler zones. In both areas, it will benefit by having its leaf tips trimmed in the spring to stimulate healthy, new growth. In zones 4-6, the foliage can be tied up over the crown of the plant in the fall to exclude water from settling there and freezing, which would be deadly.

Characteristics