Where to see the Red Hot Poker in South Africa

Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Red Hot Poker at stays in or beside uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Gondwana Game Reserve, Table Mountain National Park, Giants Castle Game Reserve, Kamberg Nature Reserve and Royal Natal National Park. A record means a host has seen it on the property or nearby, which makes these the places to base yourself; it is never a guarantee of a sighting on any given day.

The Red Hot Poker is most recorded in Western Cape (62% of records), Eastern Cape (15% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (15% of records), based on 1,512 iNaturalist observations. 15 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Red Hot Poker on site or nearby.

The Red Hot Poker is recorded throughout the year, so no month is the wrong month to look for it. For the parks where hosts record it most, these are the best seasons they give. uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park: year-round, dry season May-Sep; Gondwana Game Reserve: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; Table Mountain National Park: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; Giants Castle Game Reserve: year-round, dry season May-Sep. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.

Kniphofia uvaria is also known as Tritoma, Torch Lily, or Red Hot Poker due to the shape and color of its inflorescence. The leaves are reminiscent of a lily, and the flowerhead can reach up to 1.52 m (5.0 ft) in height. There are many varieties of torch lily, and they bloom at different times during the growing season. The flowers are red, orange, and yellow.