Genus: Anigozanthos
Species:
Common Name: Yellow Gem
Flower Colour: Yellow
Foliage Colour: Green
Growth Habit: Strap Leaf/Grass
Flowering: Summer & Spring

According to Lullfitz.com.au this variety is “a hybrid kangaroo paw bred by Mr S Haynes and released in the early 1970’s”. I myself have not grown this variety so am recommending it based on the picture alone! From its description it certainly sounds like one a very tall growing variety, with flowering stems as large as 1.8m tall! This is very tall for a Kangaroo Paw! Like most Kangaroo Paws it will grow best in a full sun position. There really is not much more I can say other than give this variety a try. I have only discovered which grow well and which don’t by trying, so why not try a new variety this month?

Thanks to Lullfitz Nursery for much of this information. If you want to buy this plant they regularly have it in stock so check them out!

There you have it, January is coming to an end and so is the position of the Kangaroo Paw as plant of the month. Next week we start to look at another awesome Australian native called Pimelea. Stay tuned!

Genus: Anigozanthos
Species: viridis
Common Name: Green Machine
Flower Colour: Green
Foliage Colour: Green
Growth Habit: Strap Leaf/Grass
Flowering: Summer & Spring

This variety is another of the larger in the Anigozanthos family, with flowering stems up to 1m high. Obviously the main difference between this species and the other featured is it has green flowers as well as foliage. However what it great about this variety is the green flower is a much lighter green colour than the stems. The best use I have seen for this variety is when placed between two other varieties. For example I once saw a patch of Red and Green Kangaroo paws clumped together, surrounded by the viridis Kangaroo paws and then another, smaller variety with yellow flowers. The light green flowers of the viridis really helped to create an amazing visual contrast between the Red & Green and Yellow flowering varieties. Having said this I would say the viridis doesn’t look as good by itself, so it is best when planted amongst other varieties.

Thanks to Lullfitz Nursery for much of this information. If you want to buy this plant they regularly have it in stock so check them out!

Genus: Anigozanthos
Species: flavidus
Common Name: Orange
Flower Colour: Orange/Red
Foliage Colour: Green
Growth Habit: Strap Leaf/Grass
Flowering: Summer & Spring

The Anigozanthos flavidus actually comes in a few different sub-species but the best sub-species boats beautiful orangey red flowers, so that is the variety that I am recommending.  This variety is generally smaller than manglesii, normally growing no higher than 50cm so if you are planting it together with that variety it is best to be placed on the outside. This variety makes for an absolutely fantastic border plant as well, especially along the side of a path from your front gate to your front door. Attracts birds, in particular the honey eater. I have grown this variety and have always been very happy with the results. The fact that is also has a slightly different flowering season to the manglesii means if planted together (perhaps with some other varieties as well) you are increasing the chances of having at least a few of your Kangaroo Paws flowering at any given time of the year!

Thanks to Lullfitz Nursery for much of this information. If you want to buy this plant they regularly have it in stock so check them out!

What about you? What is your favourite Australian Native Plant? Why do you enjoy growing them? Do you like to mix and match Australian Native Plants with all kinds of others or do you like to focus on them?

I have to say though, I expect that when I have my own house to mess around in the garden with, though I’ll most certainly focus my gardening on Australian Native Plants, I’ll probably have a bed or two for other plants, like the traditional rose garden or English cottage garden. Still, these will be only a small part of the entire area!

So, what about you?

Do you want to grow a better garden? Check out my ebook which covers 7 of the most important topics you need to understand to start  growing a better garden today!

Apparently a lot of people out there are indeed growing Kangaroo Paws because the number 1 search engine term leading traffic to this blog at the moment is  ‘pruning Kangaroo Paws’. This probably has something to do with the fact one of my previous articles is on Kangaroo Paws and the next is on pruning Anustralian Native Plants. However let me just quickly be a little more specific and talk directly about pruning Kangaroo Paws.

Kangaroo Paws, or plants of the genus Anigozanthos, are an absolute delight to grow in your garden but to get the absolute best from them they must be pruned. Kangaroo Paws mostly flower during Spring and Summer, through some varieties start early in late winter. They grow great big, long stems and the flowers emerge at the top.

Pruning when in flower

There are a few good times that you can prune Kangaroo paws and the first is during flowering. My first tip in pruning Kangaroo Paws is to make sure you cut the flower stems right off as soon as the flowers are starting to look less appealing. This pruning before the flowers have died entirely encourages the plant to produce new stems and flower again, giving you a second or sometimes if you are lucky even a third showing during a flowering season. Clip the stems off at the base of the plant  and as with most pruning try and cut at a 45 degree angle. This reduces the risk of disease and pests causing trouble. Doing this for every flower stem will both increase the health of the plant and also give you great flowers to boast about.

Pruning at the end of the flowering season

When your Kangaroo Paw has finished flowering (usually mid to late summer or early autumn) it is a very good idea to give it a real brutal prune. The good thing about Kangaroo Paws is that most of what is important for it’s growth is under the ground. The biggest tip for the post-flower pruning is to cut the stems and leaves right back down to ground level. I even read somewhere of a gardener who likes to use a lawn mower to ‘prune’ his Kangaroo Paws. Though I do not myself advocate this practice…it does likely work! I like to be a little more tender and delicate in my pruning, but the principle still stands, prune Kangaroo Paws HARD at the end of their flowering season for best results in subsequent seasons.

So there you have it. Kangaroo Paws are a pleasure to grow and they are pretty much brown thumb proof. Pruning Kangaroo Paws is not terribly difficult because you really would struggle to be too harsh in pruning them. Good luck and I hope this helps since right now is flowering time for Kangaroo Paws!

Here is the first variety

Genus: Anigozanthos
Species: manglesii
Common Name: Red & Green Kangaroo Paw
Flower Colour: Red & Green
Foliage Colour: Green
Growth Habit: Strap Leaf/Grass
Flowering: More Spring & Winter

The Anigozanthos manglesii is happiest in a position that receives full sun. When in good conditions this variety really thrives and will grow to have flowering stems up to 1 metre in height. This plant will usually last for a few flowering seasons, normally up to 3 or 4, but is not a bad idea to replace after the 2^nd flowering season. The bold red and green coloured flower really helps it stand out when mixed with other varieties but can also look absolutely fantastic if many of the same variety are planted together. I once saw a great example of this just outside Kings Park in Western Australia. A whole batch, no less than 100 plants I would say, were planted close together on an island in the road and really made quite an impression on passing motorists. A tip with any Kangaroo Paw is to remove the stems after flowering as this promotes new growth and speeds up the next batch of flowers.

Thanks to Lullfitz Nursery for much of this information. If you want to buy this plant they regularly have it in stock so check them out!