Kniphofia (Red hot poker, Torch lily, Poker plant) is a genus of plants in the family Asphodelaceae that includes 70 or more species native to Africa. Some species have been commercially used for horticultural use and are commonly known for their bright, rocket-shaped flowers. These plants produce spikes of brightly-coloured, hanging, red-to-orange flowers. This gives names such as “torch” and “red hot poker” to many of them.

Kniphofia linearifolia is an attractive plant, with showy greenish yellow to yellow flowers and long, narrow leaves. It is suited to temperate gardens where it forms a strong contrast to small- or round-leaved plants. The common marsh poker is a robust perennial which grows up to 1.5 m in height and is often found growing in groups. The leaves are soft and basal, yellow to dull green, and are strongly keeled with finely toothed or smooth margins. Poker-shaped flower heads are borne on tall stalks from midsummer to autumn. Initially pinkish red to green flower buds appear, which are then followed by the greenish yellow to yellow flowers. They are neatly arranged in a dense inflorescence. From a distance the floral arrangement may be mistaken for that of a grassland aloe. Flowers are followed by greenish capsules, which contain green seeds that turn black as they mature.