Hi Go Cart-I just had a thought- I logged into High Country Gardens, a nursery in the SW that caters to high desert conditions. The horticulturist there likes to go to South Africa and plant hunt (I have this terrific little thing he found called Cotula 'Tiffendel Gold', he collected it at S Africa's only ski resort, Tiffendell). Anyway he likes to bring back plants from the high elevations, to ensure that particular strain is tolerant of cold weather. He sells several Kniphofia. One is labeled as "Brought down from the high elevations of South Africa's Drakensberg Mountains". It is a short one called Kniphofia hirsuta 'Fire Dance'. That might be your bet bet. They work hard to pick plants that will do well in climates like yours.
Another inexpensive way to go would be to buy a pack of the 'Flamenco Mix' seeds from Ball Seed and plant this spring, just see if any make it. These are much taller. Many gardeners feel plants grown 'in situ' from seed are tougher. However they would probably need quite regular watering this year. But if you are doing a lot this year in the garden anyway, maybe that would not be too hard.
