Limelight Red Hot Poker

Limelight Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia 'Limelight') is a cool-coloured poker with no red in it at all. Lime-green buds open greenish-yellow to soft yellow on spikes about 80cm to 1m tall in summer, above an evergreen clump roughly 60cm wide. It mixes easily with blues and purples, which makes it a useful poker for gardeners who find the fiery kinds hard to place.

Why you'll love it

• Lime and soft yellow. Buds start lime green and open to greenish-yellow and soft yellow, a fresh, cool effect.
• Easy to combine. The colour sits comfortably beside blue and purple flowers, silver foliage and white.
• Mid-sized spikes. At 80cm to 1m it fits ordinary garden beds without towering over its neighbours.
• Evergreen clump. Grassy foliage stays through the year.
• Nectar rich. Like other pokers, the tubular flowers offer nectar to visiting birds.

Where it works best

Blue and purple schemes. Plant it among salvias, agapanthus or lavender, where the lime spikes sharpen the cooler colours.

Mixed perennial borders. Its moderate height suits the middle of a sunny border, repeated in groups of three or five.

Gravel and dry gardens. It enjoys the sharp drainage of a gravel garden and looks at home with ornamental grasses.

Growing Limelight Red Hot Poker in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun is essential for strong stems and plenty of flower. Pokers suit temperate, Mediterranean and subtropical gardens, and established clumps tolerate frost.

Soil. Well-drained soil is the main requirement. Sandy and gravelly soils suit them, and clay should be opened up or mounded so the crown never sits wet over winter.

Water and feed. Keep new plants watered through their first summer. After that they cope with dry spells, and a deep watering while the flower stems are forming improves the display. A slow-release fertiliser in spring is enough.

Tidying and dividing. Remove finished stems at the base and comb out dead leaves at the end of winter. Lift and divide congested clumps in autumn or early spring.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Limelight Red Hot Poker in 140mm pots in packs of 10. Plant out soon after arrival with the crown at soil level, water in well and keep mulch off the crown. Young plants concentrate on leaf in their first season and flower more freely from the next summer. Our growers do not hold every size all year, so a size can show as on backorder at times. An order for a backorder size is confirmed with you before anything ships.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Grasses and strappy leaf plants
• More flowering plants for sunny beds
• Plants that bring birds to the garden
• Creating a backyard bird sanctuary

Common questions

Does Limelight turn orange or red?

No. It stays in the green and yellow range, from lime buds to soft yellow open flowers.

When does it flower?

In summer. Removing finished stems at the base keeps the clump tidy and can encourage further spikes.

What grows well with it?

Blue and purple perennials, silver foliage and fine grasses. All should share its liking for full sun and good drainage.