Most rushes grow by water. This was discovered, thriving, on a scorching hot mountain terrace high in the mountains of Gran Canaria. Stiff, pointed, silvery green, needle-like leaves radiating from a solid rosette. ... Learn More

Growing in a wet ditch at 7,000ft in the Southern Mexican mountains we came across this most attractive and novel new rush. From a distance it really does look as though thousands of tiny, flying hedgehogs are buzzing above the smooth round stems. ... Learn More

A very lively dwarf rush with most attractive globular heads of dark brown seedheads. Extremely adaptable, growing in all conditions from bog to desert! ... Learn More

These ancient plants are dioecious, individual plants being either male or female unlike most trees. Male flowers appear as yellow blossoms and release pollen, which is wind-dispersed, the female flowers being in the form of small clusters of scales, and pollinated by the wind. The berries are green at first, but ripen after 18 months to a dark, blue-purple colour, each berry contains three or more seeds, which are very slow to germinate, sometimes requiring two winters of dormancy before they will sprout and begin growing. This amazingly tough plant has the largest geographic range of any woo ... Learn More

The gorgeous dark red flowers only open at night and are pollinated by bats and hawk-moths, a feature which is unusual for a bat-pollinated species (bats are normally attracted to white flowers), and finally large sausage-shaped fruits hang from the branches. The sausage tree is found across sub-Saharan tropical Africa and as far south as South Africa and is used as an ornamental tree in Australia, the USA and parts of Southeast Asia. The generic name Kigelia comes from the Mozambican name for sausage tree, "kigeli-keia". These trees are sacred to many communities and are often protected when ... Learn More

Arching stems clad in angled opposite leaves terminate in sprays of gorgeous, yellow, crystalline, two inch shuttlecock flowers. Grown well, this is a certain crowd-puller as it springs from the ground each spring before making an amazing display late in the year from August until October. Carol Klein says it is a "Once-seen-never-forgotten plant". And Graham Stuart Thomas also describes it thus: "There is nothing like it, a unique plant of great beauty". (RHS AGM) ... Learn More

This splendid perennial plant from the Lower Danube, is related to hollyhocks and can flower the first year from seed if sown early. It can grow up to 8ft high with unusual, vine-like leaves and large, showy, cup-shaped, white or pale rose-pink flowers from July to September. ... Learn More

In September, later than all other pokers, arise massive heads of red, later changing to greenish-lemon, above very broad grey leaves and elephant-trunk-like stems. "Very valuable and perhaps the only truly hardy large poker" (G.S.T.) ... Learn More

With a similar habit to Kniphofia caulescens, this little treasure has lighter, almost lime green foliage which is elongated and slender. Flower heads are lemon in colour with a hint of orange on new petals, hence the name 'Citrina'. Flowers last for a long period of time from Spring through into Summer. Kniphofia in general are hardier than they look, plants in our gardens have withstood temperatures down to -5 or -10. In summer they drink water freely and are not harmed by over watering. ... Learn More

An early flowering, popular perennial with large, sword-like, grey-green leaf blades and bright red, orange and yellow blooms of 30 45cm (12-18"). These showy flowers are perfect in the front of a shrub border, in the back of flower gardens, or lining a long driveway. A great cut flower. They tolerate wind and prefer moist soil. ... Learn More

A fine sturdy new addition to our collection of pokers producing fleshy leaved clumps with numerous strong stems holding fat flower heads, deepest orange at the top brightening to pale yellow at the base. ... Learn More

A colourful selection of red, yellow, green and bicolored "pokers" of all sizes from our African garden. Includes Kniphofia brachystachya, northiae, rooperi, triangularis and uvaria. ... Learn More

Probably the most impressive of all red-hot-pokers. Massive, wide, heavy leaves make a solid, agave-like rosette from which arise very thick stemmed flower-spikes of yellow and orange. A stunning plant which improves with age. ... Learn More

A dwarf "Red-hot Poker" from the alpine zones of South Africa. Broad, stumpy spikes of bright orange flowers on very thick stems above a rosette of short fleshy broad leaves. Very lovely here. ... Learn More

One the most distinctive kniphofias, this impressive landscape plant thrusts up strong, tall stems carrying large, rounded, egg-shaped, chunky-heads, opening into brilliant-red and lemon flowers, all held over clumps of thick, strong, broad arching foliage. This valuable late-flowering perennial from South Africa is really one of the highlights of the late summer to early autumn border. ... Learn More