Identifying Red Hot Poker Seeds: What to Look For When Harvesting Torch Lily Pods

Red hot poker (Kniphofia spp.) is a popular perennial flower with showy, torch-like blooms in shades of red, orange and yellow. Also called torch lily, these South African natives are easy to grow from seed. But first you need to know how to identify when seeds are ready for harvest. In this article, we’ll explore what red hot poker seeds look like so you can successfully collect and plant them.

Flower Structure

Understanding the anatomy of the red hot poker flower will help you locate seeds. The tall flower spikes are composed of many small tubular florets. The florets have both male and female reproductive parts. After pollination occurs seeds develop in ovary chambers at the base of each floret.

Seed Pod Formation

As the poker plant’s bloom period ends, the flower spikes fade and individual florets drop off. This reveals pointed, triangular seed pods at the site of each former floret. The pods grow to about 1⁄2 inch long. Inside they contain 10-20 seeds.

Mature Seed Pod Appearance

Mature red hot poker seed pods turn brown and woody with ridged sides. They may split open partially to reveal the seeds inside. But don’t wait for full opening which causes seeds to scatter. Harvest when pods are completely brown and dry.

Seed Appearance and Size

Red hot poker seeds are oval shaped and pointed on one end. Their color ranges from dark brown to black. Size is quite small at 1-2mm long. Use care when handling the tiny seeds to avoid loss.

Harvesting Tips

Leave spent flower spikes on the plant until the seed pods are brown and dry, usually by late summer or fall. Cut the stems and place in paper bags. Hang bags in a warm, dry spot for a week so pods further dry and split. Then rub the pods between your hands over a collecting plate or bowl to separate the seeds.

Seed Viability

Fresh red hot poker seeds have high germination rates of around 70-80%. Store seeds in an airtight container in the refrigerator over winter. In spring, they will need a chilling period of 4-6 weeks before sowing. Refrigerated seeds remain viable to plant for up to 1-2 years.

What Not to Collect

Avoid harvesting immature green pods, damaged pods or old pods left outdoors exposed to weather. Also don’t collect seeds from hybrid varieties, as they won’t produce true copies of the parent plant. For greatest success, gather seeds only from healthy, mature pods of open-pollinated torch lily varieties.

With the right timing and care in harvest, red hot poker seeds are easy to collect in quantity. Understanding the seed pod and seed appearance will ensure you gather viable seeds for planting. Soon you’ll have new torch lily seedlings to add dynamic color to your garden.