October 23 | Plant of the week Part XVII

The torch lilies are lit

A very special genus of plants comes from the mountains of South Africa to European gardens. The torch lilies (Kniphofia) have long since faded in the valley. On the Schatzalp, in the botanical garden, they are planted in a cooler area and are still in bloom.
They are named after J. H. Kniphof, a doctor from Erfurt (1704 – 1763). In the autumn sunlight they honor their common name with bright colors. They bloom from yellow, orange to whitish greenish and even with black-brown flowers. There are about 70 species, 47 of which come from South Africa. The winter-hardy species in our mountains, around 20 in number, all come from the Drakensberg, most of them from Lesotho. They usually grow in damp to wet places with plenty of summer rain, but can also tolerate drier locations. As garden plants they have made a career primarily in England, New Zealand and the USA. From there many garden hybrids came to Europe.