This perennial dies back to below ground level each year in autumn, then fresh new growth appears again in spring.

• Position: full sun or partial shade
• Soil: fertile, humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil
• Rate of growth: average
• Flowering period: July to September
• Hardiness: frost hardy (may need winter protection)
  
  The grass-like foliage of this showy, architectural perennial, forms a stiffly upright clump, from which stout stems arise in mid- to late summer, each topped with a poker-like spike of slender, reddish orange flowers. Putting on an eye-catching display that lasts well into autumn, its compact growth, structural silhouette and long flowering season, makes it a great addition to mixed borders or prairie-style planting schemes.
  
  
• Garden care: In autumn remove the faded flower spikes and apply a deep, dry mulch around the crown of the plant. Divide and replant overcrowded colonies in spring.