Tritoma kniphofia - Torch Lily

Torch Lily is a startling flash of color in the southwest desert. Upright plants end in orange and yellow spikes that look like flaming candles. Almost garish, they're bound to get noticed and are a welcome bright spot in a xeriscaped garden. A sturdy South African native, Tritoma is as easy to grow as it is spectacular. The unusual bi-color spikes stand 3 feet above tough grassy foliage and hold on for weeks. Great in a flashy cluster or lining a driveway, it upstages most flowering plants and looks best on its own. Red Hot Poker thrives in the dry heat of the southwest desert, needs full sun, sandy soil, and a dry garden. Anywhere in zones 5 - 9 it thrives in alkaline soils that would defeat a tumbleweed. ******** 30 days cold stratification required!********Fill a pot with well draining soil. Water and allow to drain. Surface sow seeds on the surface and barely cover. Place pot in a Ziploc baggie, or cover with plastic wrap and a rubber band and place in the refrigerator for 30 day