Digging deeperPlant Library

Torchlily flowers

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Other Names:  Red-hot Poker, Flame Flower, Tritoma

Description:

Hummingbirds love the beautiful yellow and red colored bottlebrush type flowers; the blooms rise from grassy, evergreen foliage in midsummer to create an unusual yet brilliant border planting; makes a great cutflower

Ornamental Features

Torchlily features bold spikes of red tubular flowers with yellow overtones and green throats at the ends of the stems from mid to late summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its grassy leaves remain green in color throughout the year.

Landscape Attributes

Torchlily is an open herbaceous evergreen perennial with tall flower stalks held atop a low mound of foliage. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Torchlily is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Torchlily will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity extending to 4 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 24 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 22 inches apart. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division.