Xeronema callistemon — Poor Knight's lily

Endemic to the Poor Knights Islands and Taranga Island off northern New Zealand, where it was discovered in 1924, Xeronema callistemon, the Poor Knights lily, is an evergreen rhizomatous perennial forming large clumps of stiff, sword-shaped, mid-green leaves reaching up to a metre in height and spread. It produces striking horizontal, bottlebrush-like inflorescences some 20 cm long, with bright red flowers and orange pollen, borne on tall stems. Flowering occurs in spring. It requires perfectly drained soil, a sunny, sheltered position, and is highly frost-sensitive.