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Video Guide – Kangaroo Paw

Gold Velvet Bold Gold Flowers

Ruby Velvet | Bold Red Flowers

Velvet Kangaroo Paws | Ozbreed Range

Height Guide – Kangaroo Paw

AMBER VELVET – Grows up to 50 centimetres

Amber Velvet Kangaroo Paw Growing Guide

GOLD VELVET – Grows up to 60 centimetres

Gold Velvet Kangaroo Paw Growing Guide

REGAL VELVET – Grows up to 60 centimetres

Regal Velvet Kangaroo Paw Growing Guide

RUBY VELVET – Grows up to 40 centimetres

Ruby Velvet Kangaroo Paw Growing Guide

Kangaroo Paw

Kangaroo Paws are truly one of Australia’s most iconic plants; the flower features as the floral emblem of West Australia and has even appeared on a number of stamp issues.

Kangaroo Paws originate from the south west of Western Australia and of the 12 species 11 are from the Anigozanthos genus.

The 12th is particularly distinctive. It comes from the Macropidia genus and is known as the Black Kangaroo Paw because of its black and green flowers.

The vibrant flower colours and unusual paw-like flower head (that gives them their name) have made Kangaroo Paws immensely popular garden plants across Australia and around the world.

Kangaroo Paw Flower Colours

Kangaroo Paw flowers are highly distinctive with their finger-like projections and the cover of fine velvet hairs that give the flowers their colour.

In the wild the flower colours range from red and green through various shades of reds and yellows to the black and green of the Macropidia fuliginosa.

The colourings in Kangaroo Paw flowers can also be affected by the weather and light conditions. Cooler summer temperatures will intensify the flower colour.

Birds love the nectar rich flowers and their presence will enhance the joy of your Kangaroo Paw display.

The Ozbreed range of Kangaroo Paw includes the following flower colours:

  • Amber velvet—amber flowers with red and yellow contrast magnificently against the strong green foliage. Flowers appear from August to April.
  • Gold velvet—vibrant yellow and red flowers appear from August to May
  • Regal velvet— red flowers with green highlights make a stunning appearance from August to May.
  • Ruby velvet—deep red flowers present a marvellous display against the dark green foliage from August to May.

Kangaroo Paws Range

Anigozanthos flavidus provides the parent material for most common hybrids. They tend to produce taller cultivars with spectacular flower displays that are highly resilient when combined with other varieties.

 Breeding from the Macropidia genus is more challenging thanks to its very restricted natural environment. It likes very dry gravelly conditions and so tends to struggle in most gardens.

The Ozbreed motto, ‘right plant, right place’ is the core ideal underlying our selection of Kangaroo Paw cultivars.

We have a range of Kangaroo Paw cultivars that are perfect for almost any garden.

We have been conducting tests for many years and have identified the varieties that will be most successful in gardens throughout NSW, Victoria, South Australia, WA, ACT, and Tasmania.

Kangaroo Paws don’t cope well with the high humidity of Queensland where they tend to be short-lived.

Even so, you may still get a couple of years out of Kangaroo plants in northern Queensland and a little longer further south.

The Ozbreed range of Kangaroo Paws are Anigozanthos hybrids and includes:

  • Amber Velvet – 50cm high x 40 cm wide with flower heads up to 1.2 m high with excellent Ink Spot resistance.
  • Gold Velvet – 50-60cm high x 40cm wide with flower heads up to 1m high. It features excellent frost, drought, and Ink Spot resistance.
  • Regal Velvet – 50-60cm high x 40cm wide with flower heads up to 1.4m high. Regal Velvet is great for out-competing weeds and offers good Ink Spot resistance.
  • Ruby Velvet™ – 40cm high x 30cm wide with flower heads that reach 80cm high. Good drought and frost resistance makes it a great choice for low maintenance gardens.

In general terms, the short-stemmed varieties tend to be more short-lived than the taller stems cultivars.

AMBER VELVET Anigozanthos hybrid 'Amber Velvet' Velvet Kangaroo Paws
AMBER VELVET
Anigozanthos hybrid ‘Amber Velvet’ 

Velvet Kangaroo Paws GOLD VELVET Anigozanthos hybrid 'Gold Velvet'
GOLD VELVET
Anigozanthos hybrid ‘Gold Velvet’ 

Velvet Kangaroo Paws REGAL VELVET Anigozanthos hybrid 'Regal Velvet'
REGAL VELVET
Anigozanthos hybrid ‘Regal Velvet’ 

Velvet Kangaroo Paws RUBY VELVET Anigozanthos hybrid 'Ruby Velvet
RUBY VELVET™
Anigozanthos hybrid

How To Grow Kangaroo Paws

Kangaroo Paws are fairly hardy but they do have some specific requirements.

Soils:

Kangaroo Paws do best in slightly acidic soils with good drainage and full sun exposure. They do not like wet feet but they will cope with a range of soils if there is good structure in the soil. Very high phosphorous levels may also be detrimental to some Kangaroo Paw species.

Seasons:

Most Kangaroo Paws will die back and become dormant over winter. You should take advantage of this characteristic to cut back most of the leaves and old flower stems to ground level (see pruning section).

Make sure you remove all the cuttings and any dead leaves from around the plant to minimise the transfer of disease.

Be aware that regular heavy frosts, especially from mid-winter to spring may hinder flower development.Wet feet and excessive humidity levels will encourage fungal diseases and shorten the life of most Kangaroo Paws.

The Ozbreed varieties have been selected for their high resistance to drought and frost.

Planting and Dividing:

Making sure your Kangaroo Paws have good drainage and full sun is essential.

They will need lots of water during flowering season (spring/summer) but otherwise it pays not to let them get too wet. They work well in raised beds and are ideal for low maintenance gardens.

Planting can take place anytime from March through to October or early November. If you use mulch make sure you don’t cover the crown of the plant. If needed, you can add a slow release fertiliser in spring.

Thanks to the underground rhizome root system you can divide your Kangaroo Paws quite easily if they get too big.

In fact, dividing large clumps is actually good for plant health and fosters strong vigorous growth.

Kangaroo Paws do very well as pot plants. Make sure you use a potting mix with good drainage and keep the plant well fed and watered especially while it’s flowering.

Pruning:

Ozbreed cultivars have been designed for low maintenance with reduced pruning requirements compared to other varieties.

However, Kangaroo Paws can take really severe pruning quite happily.

In fact, they thrive with a good cutting back at the end of summer or in early autumn after the flowering has finished. You can be quite harsh, cutting old flower stems down to the ground.

Don’t remove any fresh green shoots and leave a few taller stems as well. You still need about a third of the plant above ground but its underground rhizome will ensure the plant will shoot back with vigorous new growth in the spring.

Pruning during flowering season can also pay dividends. Remove flower stems as soon as they are no longer looking their best. Cut them at the base and this will encourage new flower heads to form and will prolong the flowering season.

Kangaroo Paws Common Diseases

Kangaroo Paws are generally pretty hardy plants and display a solid natural disease and pest resistance. As with any plant, choosing the right varieties for the conditions is a vital step towards growing happy, healthy Kangaroo Paws.

Black Ink Spot disease

Black ink spot disease kills plant tissue and is noticeable for the black circular lesions that form on the leaves. Black ink disease is caused by a range of fungi, such as Alternaria, and a good fungicide will help control the problem.

As with most fungus problems making sure that there is good air movement around the plants will help.

Cut back old flower stems on infected plants as soon as they start to wither, cutting right back to the stem. This will encourage fresh vigorous new growth. Make sure you remove all dead and infected foliage from around the base of the plant.

Avoid watering the leaves especially outside the warmer months—this makes a less hospitable environment for fungal diseases.

It might pay to remove particular plants if they appear to be more prone to Ink disease. Choosing the Ozbreed easy care varieties, such as Amber, Gold, or Regal Velvet (Anigozanthos hybrids) that are resistant to Black Ink disease will help ensure your Kangaroo Paws stay healthy too.

Rust

Rust can also affect Kangaroo Paws. The orange/red/ yellow pimples are highly visible on plant foliage. Treat with a good registered fungicide. Neem oil can be a very effective natural and safe alternative to more toxic fungicides.

Keeping your plants healthy and stress-free adds protection against fungal attacks. This means improving air circulation and avoiding over-watering. Insufficient sunlight will also contribute to making your Kangaroo Paws more susceptible to rust attacks.

Aphids

Aphids may become a problem in autumn and spring. Pyrethrum and eco-neem will be somewhat effective on aphids, also standard systemic insecticides should provide effective control.

Root and crown rot

Kangaroo Paws may be affected by root rot and crown rot so it is important to avoid overwatering and ensure there is adequate drainage around the roots. Good air flow and adequate sunshine exposure will help keep your plants healthy too.

Snails and slugs

Unfortunately, snails and slugs will love your Kangaroo Paws as much as you do and the green strappy leaves can suffer severe damage from snail or slug infestations.

Snail bait can be effective. Reduce the amount of watering when the plants have finished flowering and this will help make the environment less enticing for snails and slugs.

Amber Velvet

Amber Velvet Kangaroo Paw

AMBER VELVET is a beautiful Kangaroo Paw with bold amber flowers that reach about 1 to 1.2 metres tall. With robust and clean foliage, for more information Click Here

Click to download the full Kangaroo Paw Anigozanthos hybrid  – Amber Velvet Product Guide

Click to see where you can purchase / buy online the Amber Velvet

Gold Velvet

Gold Velvet Kangaroo Paw

GOLD VELVET is a very tough, mid-sized, landscape Kangaroo Paw. It displays stunning 1 metre tall flowers for most of the year, for more information Click Here

Click to download the full Kangaroo Paw Anigozanthos hybrid  – Gold Velvet Product Guide

Click to see where you can purchase / buy online the Gold Velvet

Regal Velvet

Regal Velvet Kangaroo Paw

REGAL VELVET compared to other Kangaroo Paws requires less trimming, is more ink spot resistant, much tougher and better at outcompeting weeds, for more information Click Here

Click to download the full Kangaroo Paw Anigozanthos hybrid  – Regal Velvet Product Guide

Click to see where you can purchase / buy online the Regal Velvet

Ruby Velvet

Ruby Velvet Kangaroo Paw

RUBY VELVET compared to other Kangaroo Paws requires less trimming, is more ink spot resistant, much tougher and better at out-competing weeds, for more information Click Here

Click to download the full Kangaroo Paw Anigozanthos hybrid  – Ruby Velvet Product Guide

Click to see where you can purchase / buy online the Ruby Velvet

Where Can I Buy Kangaroo Paws?

Providing exceptional varieties that suit a wide range of garden needs is just part of the Ozbreed mission. We also aim to make it as easy as possible to buy the perfect Kangaroo Paw for your requirements.

Ozbreed Velvet Kangaroo Paws are available through online retailers DPP in NSW and Plants4Perth in WA. They are also available through retail stores in NSW and WA – you can see more details here.

Wholesale sales are available across Australia – for a full list click here.

List of Australian Native Plants

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