Well-known as red-hot-pokers, these are not all red-hot. The classic ones have dense spikes of brilliant red tubular flowers that become yellow as they open, but there are many others that are pure red, orange, yellow or white. They all make clumps of rising, narrow, fleshy leaves, and generally flourish in damp places, even wet ones, although they also like sun - they are natives of South Africa. If you really want to be technical correct, you should remember that they are name after a German Professor Kniphof, so pronounce the K separately, then nip, and then hof (hoaf)!

Kniphofia 'Vanilla' is smaller than other red hot pokers, and has two tone flower spikes of red-orange fading to creamy white at the base.