Plant Finder

Moana Nursery High Desert Plant Finder & Guide

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

Brand:  Terra Nova Nurseries Inc.

Description:

Fiery red-orange bottlebrush flowers that shift to a golden yellow rise from compact, grassy foliage in summer; a brilliant, unusual border or container planting; makes a great cut flower and attracts hummingbirds

Ornamental Features

Rocket Jr. Dwarf Torchlily features bold spikes of orange tubular flowers with red overtones at the ends of the stems from early summer to mid fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its grassy leaves remain dark green in color throughout the year.

Landscape Attributes

Rocket Jr. Dwarf 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 should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. It is a good choice for attracting 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.

Rocket Jr. Dwarf Torchlily is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Rocket Jr. Dwarf Torchlily will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity extending to 16 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 9 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 8 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 considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Rocket Jr. Dwarf Torchlily is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, this plant may be too tender to survive the winter if left outdoors in a container. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.