Midsummer sprays of bright red flowers open from bottom to top on long arching bronze stems, like bursts of flame above gladiolus-like foliage. Lucifer is Dutch for ‘match,’ and in most shops in Holland you can pick up a box of lucifers—they’re kitchen matches.

Grows well in pots. Makes a long-lasting cutflower. Plant in full sun, 3" deep, 3" apart in moist well-drained soil. Might overwinter with protection in Zone 5; colder zones should treat these as annuals.