Pruning red-hot poker
Advice for October in the Netherlands
Red-hot pokers can be deciduous or evergreen. Never cut the whole clump down without checking: evergreen types only need poor leaves removed. Months are a guide for the Netherlands and Belgium; follow actual growth and flowering.
Did the foliage die in winter or remain green?
Red-hot poker: check first — October
Check this first
First check whether your red-hot poker retains its leaves or dies back completely. If unsure, do not cut the leafy clump low; an empty faded flower stalk can be removed individually.
Pay attention to this
- Keep healthy green red-hot poker leaves intact.
- Cut dead leaves individually without touching the central growing point.
- Remove a flower stalk only once its last flower and bud have finished.
Frequently asked questions
- Must red-hot poker be cut down in autumn?
- No. Leave old foliage around the crown over winter. In spring, clear dead leaves and retain healthy green growth.
- How do I treat an evergreen Kniphofia?
- Remove individual dead or badly damaged leaves. Do not shorten the entire green clump to ground level.
- Can a partly faded poker be removed?
- Wait while living flowers remain. Remove the whole stalk when its last flowers have finished, without taking leaves with it.