Kangaroo paws

Kangaroo paws range from 30cm tall to a towering 2.5m, when in bloom, and are quick to mature, giving the gardener a long-lasting flower display soon after planting.

While a number of wild species have proved difficult to tame, there are plenty of colourful cultivars that have been specially bred for home gardens. They look spectacular massed together in beds, but are just as eye-catching in a large container. Kangaroo paws are also one of the best native plants for attracting nectar-feeding birds such as honeyeaters, spinebills and wattlebirds.

Kangaroo paws belong to one of our more remarkable plant families called Haemodoraceae, so named from the ancient Greek word for blood (haima). A close relative of the kangaroo paw is a group of plants known as bloodroots (Haemodorum spp.), which have been used by the Noongar Aboriginal people of south-west Western Australia as food, dye and for medicinal purposes. Another important group in this family is the cottonheads (Conostylis spp.), which share the furry flower texture of kangaroo paws.

Anyone in Australia can have these plants flowering year after year with minimal maintenance and effort. The trick is to select the best type for your climate, soil and purpose. To keep it very simple, kangaroo paws can be categorised into two types: tall and short.

Tall varieties

Tall varieties are more than 1m high when in flower. They are tough, long-lived perennials that thrive over a wide variety of climatic and soil conditions. They come in a range of vibrant colours, including red, yellow, orange, green, pink and lilac, and bloom from mid spring to mid summer. With a bit of tender loving care, they will thrive. Top performers include ‘Big Red’, ‘Yellow Gem’ and the recently released ‘Landscape’ series.

Short varieties

The second group is the short varieties. When in flower, these are under 1m high, and are short-lived perennials in all but Mediterranean climates (areas with long, hot summers and cool, moist winters such as South Australia, Tasmania’s east coast and the south of Western Australia).

To be blunt, these short varieties often disappoint, especially when gardeners plant them into the average garden soil on the Australian east coast, particularly with heavy clay soils or humid climates. However, the shorter varieties often flower year-round and come in a wide range of colours, and make outstanding pot and rockery specimens.

Cultivars that perform include ‘Bush Pearl’, ‘Bush Diamond’, ‘Bush Elegance’, ‘Bush Blitz’ and ‘Midas Touch’. My advice is to use them as bedding plants to create bold seasonal features, particularly for smaller gardens.

Some common kangaroo paw problems

Blackened leaves
Blackened leaves are the biggest problem encountered with kangaroo paws. Basically, anything that kills leaf tissue causes unsightly dark black marks to appear on the leaves. Irregular black marks are a reaction to environmental stress and caused by damage from snails or slugs, frost, too much or too little water, or nutritional stress. Fungal leaf spot diseases, such as rust and ink spot, show as circular lesions. Manage leaf problems by protecting plants from slugs, snails and frost. Ensure they don’t come under stress by growing them in full sun with well-drained soils and adequate low-phosphorus fertiliser. In heavy soil, grow paws in raised beds or large containers. Many modern cultivars are resistant to rust and ink spot disease.

Fungal rot
Fungal rots in the below-ground parts of kangaroo paws account for most plant deaths in Australian gardens, in my experience. These rots are worst in heavy soils and humid climates. Keep them at bay with good drainage – plant in a raised bed, rockery or pot. Alternatively, grow tall varieties that are much more resistant to these problems. They grow well in virtually all soil types and Australian climates.

Fertiliser
Good nutrition maximises flower displays and keeps the foliage green and healthy, thereby avoiding leaf blackening. While kangaroo paws are not as sensitive to added phosphorus as banksias, grevilleas and waratahs, it’s still wise to use a low-phosphorus fertiliser for native plants. Give plants a generous handful after pruning at the end of their flowering season.

Watering
Kangaroo paws need an adequate supply of moisture while their flowers are forming. Drooping flower buds are a sign that extra watering is required. A bumper flower display can rapidly wilt if the garden dries out during late winter and spring.

Pruning
Like many perennials, kangaroo paws need pruning after flowering. I cut most of mine back hard. Wear long sleeves and trousers, protective goggles and a dust mask to prevent hairs on the spent flowers causing irritation. Tall cultivars can be chopped back to ground level each year in late summer or autumn as flowering finishes. This tough love cleans up any dead or blackened foliage. 

Smaller cultivars require more work to maximise their relatively short lives. Each flower stem arises from a leaf fan that is comprised (usually) of six leaves that gradually die and turn black as flowers finish. Rather than cutting the whole plant back to ground level, it’s best to remove the spent flower stems one at a time, as a savage cut back all at once will often kill the plant. As you remove the stems, make sure you take out the old leaves that are associated with them.

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