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Red
Hot Poker
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Additional Perennial Profiles Site Map
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Sow Poker Plant seeds either in the fall or in very early spring as soon as the ground can be worked. I always start seeds in containers I re-use from other bedding plant purchases so that I can keep an eye on them, but Poker Plant seeds can be started right in the ground if you would rather forgo the extra step of moving them to the garden. If you do directly seed into the ground, be sure to thin to about 2 feet apart when the seedlings are big enough to be handled. Don't skip this step, as this plant makes a clump that grows surprisingly large. Clumps are a rounded tuft shape with bluish green lance shaped leaves. Flowers are borne on sturdy stems that seem to appear virtually overnight from the center of the clump. A little bit of patience is required with this plant, as with most perennials, as you may or may not see blooms the first year. I had a few blooms my first year, but nothing to write home about. Watch out the second year, though, as this is a plant that will keep going virtually all summer if you keep old blooms cut off all the way down. A word of caution design-wise is in order here - this is a plant with strong form and very strong color. Be careful not to plant it in front of that everblooming pink rose you have out there or you are going to have a major color clash going on. Sadly, I speak from experience on this.
Bees and hummingbirds love Poker plants and as such, they make a good addition to habitat type gardens. This is a tall, stately plant that has enough "wow" factor to be a focal point on its own. Careful placement in the garden will insure that you have a real winner in your garden for years to come!
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