Anigozanthos (Kangaroo Paw)

Native to Australia, Anigozanthos (Kangaroo Paw) are tufted evergreen rhizomatous perennials with vibrant flower colors atop fans of narrowly strap-shaped leaves. Borne on leafless flowering stalks, the remarkable flowers are clustered at the ends of the stalks. Tubular, they are covered with velvety hairs and have pointed lobes, which are curved at their tips, giving them the appearance of kangaroo paws, hence the common name.

• Kangaroo paws are available in glorious shades of yellow, orange, red, pink, or purple. An interesting fact is their color variation with temperature. They become more intensely colored when exposed to low temperatures, therefore the same kangaroo paw can take different looks in different environments.
• Kangaroo paws enjoy a fairly long blooming season extending from late spring to fall if spent flowering spikes are cut to the ground. The flowers attract nectar-feeding birds and honey possums.
• Evergreen, the foliage forms a basal rosette of narrow, linear, upright, or arching green leaves, up to 3ft. long (90 cm).
• Kangaroo paws belong to the genus Anigozanthos, which includes 11 species and many hybrid cultivars, offering a wide array of sizes and flower colors.
• The tall cultivars (6ft. tall or 2m) are regarded as long-lived garden plants. They include hybrids between Anigozanthos flavidus and Anigozanthos pulcherrimus (with blossoms in shades of yellow, red, and orange) as well as those between Anigozanthos flavidus x rufus group (with burgundy to bright red or orange-red blossoms). These plants are vigorous growers with good resistance to fungal diseases. Among these tall kangaroo paws are: