Kniphofia hardiness
shopping (Mon, 03 Mar 2014 01:19:11 PST)

I am interested to know how hardy Kniphofia really are. I can grow most
Cape and Drakensberg species here in the south of England with little
problem, but considering our lowest temperature this winter has been
-3°C (admittedly exceptional, we normally get down to -10°C) it is
hardly a good test. It would be great to hear which species people have
found the hardiest and how low did it go? Has anyone tried any of the
tropical species - I saw K. thomsonii growing outside in Shropshire and
the person said that it had got down to -15°C - considering I had killed
it in my own garden I thought this was remarkable? Are there any species
that should have been hardier - I continually struggle keeping K.
hirsuta alive but I am on heavy clay soil?

Chris

Christopher Whitehouse
Keeper of the Herbarium
RHS Garden Wisley
Woking GU23 6QB
UK