Kniphofia northeae

I'm not normally a fan of red hot pokers however there are two varieties that have managed to sneak into my garden.  The first is kniphofia caulescens, I'm a sucker for those blue plants.

The second is kniphofia northeae, which looks similar to an aloe and I thought may be a suitable substitute given the lack of hardy aloes. For those that do not know, it is the big daddy of the group. This one is almost 1.5m tall.

Mine has a little way to go to get to that size, but I am pleased to say it got through the winter and is looking good. It pretty much has the bed to itself and is in the best spot in the garden, so there is space for it to reach full size.  Looking today I noticed its first flower is forming.

I can't take every plant with me when we move, so this one will be staying and I wont see it get to full size. I guess I will just have to start again in the next garden.