Australian Kangaroo Paws
Red and green kangaroo paws are native to Perth, Western Australia, where the weather tends to be warm all year round. I remember the first time I saw them. It must have been exactly the right time of year because hundreds were blooming in a Eucalyptus grove in the middle of Kings Park. Their soft, velvety red and green "fur" fascinated me, and when I moved back to the United States and eventually bought a house, I wanted to try to grow them. San Jose, California, has an extreme climate, but I have succeeded in growing them outside in pots placed in a protected area. Below are my experiences. Enjoy!
The Kangaroo Paw is native to the open eucalyptus forests of Western Australia and named for the appearance of its unopened flower cluster. The flowers appear in red. purple, green, or yellow. The Kangaroo Paw is a member of the Haemodoraceae family of the Anigozanthos genus.
There are 11 or 12 Kangaroo Paw species including cultivars. Two of the most common in the United States are Anigozanthos manglesii and Anigozanthos flavidus. Many of the most successful cultivars have Anigozanthos flavidus as a parent. See Australian Native Botanic Gardens: Kangaroo Paws for more information on species and cultivars.
Manglesii grows to 3 feet and is covered with thick red hairs and deep green flowers. Flavidus grows to 5 feet and has tubular, curved, and fuzzy yellow-green flowers tinged with red.
Anigozanthos Manglesii
This picture is a close up of an Anigozanthos manglesii.
Anigozanthos, the genus name, is probably derived from the Greek word "anises," which means unequal or oblique, and "anthos," which means flower, referring to the division of the flower into six unequal parts. The species name, manglesii, is for Robert Mangles who raised this species from seed in his English garden.
Kangaroo Paw is susceptible to ink spot disease which begins as isolated black spots on older leaves which may eventually die. In extreme cases the whole plant may die. As four different fungi seem to be responsible, no single fungicide gives effective control. Cultivation in an open sunny position and avoidance of overhead watering may reduce the severity of the disease.
This plant came from Australian Native Plants Nursery, and is doing wonderfully in a sunny location in my backyard in a pot. Keeping it against the house where it can stay dry and protected from night moisture helps keep the ink spot disease under control. Cutting away the diseased parts also helps.
Sprouting & Growing
Red and green kangaroo paws are not hard to sprout. I've done it successfully in a dry location in my house that is well lit with natural light, but not too many hours of direct sun.
- Place the seeds under seed starter about 1/2 inch. The seeds are small, but try to spread them so there is about 1/2 inch to an inch between the seeds.
- Keep the soil moist until they sprout. Takes about 4 weeks to see the first one.
- Once they sprout you need to water, but not overwater. Don't let them dry out either. It takes a little practice to figure out how much to water.
- Let the sprouts grow to about an inch before moving individual sprouts to their own pots.
- Move sprouts to their own pots without touching the roots. They are very sensitive and don't like having their roots fiddled with.
- They do well in a small pot of either potting soil or more seed starter.
- Watch them grow and enjoy. Put them in the ground in Spring when the weather becomes warm.
Let the sprouts get to be a few inches tall before you try to put them into the ground. If they are too small when you try to transplant them, they will not survive very easily.
Anigozanthos Flavidus
This picture is a close up of an Anigozanthos flavidus. The flowers are yellow-green, but can vary from deep rust red to pure yellow including shades of buff and orange. It is the most widely cultivated Kangaroo Paw because it is hardy in many climatic zones, even those with humid summers.
This is the one growing in my front yard. It is just starting to bloom.
