Gardeners who are looking to add an exotic and colorful plant to their landscape are sure to enjoy the Kniphofia genus. The blazing red and yellow colors of its flowers have earned it the nicknames "red hot poker" and "torch lily."

The Kniphofia genus is named for Johann Hieronymus Kniphof, a German botanist and physician. The Missouri Botanical Garden says it includes up to 70 perennial plants which are native to the southern and tropical areas of Africa.

Torch lilies include a number of linear leaves at the base and a collection of tubular flowers arranged in such a way that they resemble a bottlebrush. One popular species, Kniphofia uvaria, combines red flowers at the top with yellow flowers on the bottom. The flowers sit atop a scape, or leafless stalk, which can grow as high as five feet tall.

The plant will do best if it is grown in a place with full sunlight. However, it will also tolerate areas with partial shade. Look for a plot that is protected from the wind as well, since strong gusts can easily topple the scape.

Soil should be well-drained, since the torch lily is susceptible to root rot if the soil is too waterlogged. A drier soil with high levels of humus or similar organic matter will help supply the plant with nutrients. M.H. Dyer, writing for SFGate, says the soil should ideally have a pH level of 6.6 to 7.

Torch lilies transfer well, so you can start them indoors about six to eight weeks before the last spring frost. Swallowtail Garden Seeds, a company based in Santa Rosa, California, says seeds should be barely covered with soil since light helps them germinate.

If planting in a container, use a deep one to support the plant's tap root. When sowing seeds into an outdoor garden, plant groups of three or four seeds about one to one-and-a-half feet apart. Once the plant starts to grow, you can thin them out to the strongest plant in each group.

While torch lilies can do well in dry conditions, you should make sure to give them enough water as they are growing. Ruth Rogers Clausen and Thomas Christopher, authors of the 2014 book "Essential Perennials," say flower blooms may not occur if the roots dry out.

Dyer says the plant should get about one inch of water each week. If this water is not supplied by rainfall, make sure to water the plot at least once a week.

Swallowtail Garden Seeds says the seeds should germinate within three or four weeks of planting. Once flowers start to appear, they will open from the bottom to the top and change colors over time.

Torch lilies are a particularly good way to attract certain wildlife to your garden. The National Gardening Association says bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other birds will all come to feast on the flowers' nectar. In addition, the plant is resistant to deer and rabbit.

Once a flower bloom is spent, remove it from the plant. Dyer says the plant will go dormant early if you don't take this step.

Torch lilies are excellent for flower displays, and can be cut for this purpose whenever you feel the blooms are at their most vibrant. When displayed in the garden, the flower can be a striking focal point in less colorful parts of the yard.

The leaves at the bottom of the plant will become more chaotic over time. Mountain Valley Growers, a company in Squaw Valley, California, says you should trim these back to keep the base of the plant looking nice.

In the autumn, allow the leaves to continue growing. Dyer says they will store energy and help the bulb with spring growth. Torch lilies can be cut down to the ground once their leaves turn yellow.

Flowers that go to seed can lead to the growth of new plants in the spring. The Missouri Botanical Garden says the plants can be divided and distributed elsewhere if they become too crowded.

While it is possible for torch lilies to overwinter in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 and 6, which include Connecticut, they will benefit from some extra protection against the cold. In the late autumn, you can tie the leaves together over the crown to form a canopy. This process keeps water from entering the crown and freezing.

Another option is to take the plant inside for the winter. Clausen and Christopher say torch lilies should be grown in a container if you prefer this method. Store them in a cool place until they can be transferred outdoors again.