All plants produce spikes of upright, brightly coloured flowers well above the foliage, in shades of red, orange and yellow, often bicoloured.

[5] The flowers produce copious nectar while blooming and are attractive to bees and sunbirds.

The genus Kniphofia is named after Johann Hieronymus Kniphof, an 18th-century German physician and botanist.

[1][6] Several species of Kniphofia are cultivated as garden plants, valued for their architectural properties.

In addition to the species, many named cultivars of mixed or uncertain parentage have been selected for garden use.