Gumnuts - Favourites: Kangaroo Paw Hybrids

Favourites: Kangaroo Paw Hybrids

18 December 2007 7:26 PM

Kangaroo paws are wonderful plants but there are only a few that I would regard as 'favourites'.


	Anigozanthos 'Yellow Gem'

The problem with them is that the hardy ones, mainly Anigozanthos flavidus forms, generally have fairly dull and uninteresting coloured flowers. The normal form has drab, greenish flowers but even the red, pink and orange forms of A.flavidus, while attractive, are not exactly spectacular (nothing wrong with that - just making an observation). They have other benefits, of course - they are great for attracting birds to the garden and they are very long-lived and robust plants, often sending flowering stems 2 - 2.5 metres high.

Then there are the small, colourful hybrids. These are certainly spectacular but, with a few exceptions they don't seem to make long lasting garden plants. Great in a pot or a rockery for 2-3 years but that seems to be about it.

My favourites, though, are a group that fit between these two groups. They are generally hybrids of A.flavidus and either A.rufus or A.pulcherrimus, so the flowers tend to be red or yellow in colour. The aren't as robust as the normal form of A.flavidus but they are certainly more vigourous and hardy than the small varieties.


	Anigozanthos 'Big Red'

Among the best of this group are the two featured here. Both have foliage to about half a metre in height and flowering stems to about 1 metre. Anigozanthos 'Big Red' has bright, tomato red flowers while 'Yellow Gem' has lemon yellow flowers. Two others worth a spot in the garden are 'Gold Fever' (orange-yellow) and "Red Cross' (burgundy) although 'Gold Fever' seems to be a bit hard to find these days (if anyone has seen one recently, let me know).

Like all kangaroo paws, you can propagate new plants by simply dividing the clumps, usually after flowering in late summer.

A few years ago the old 'Gumnuts' email newsletter had a 'favourite plants' section where readers could tell others about their favourite Australian native plants. It was a good idea then and I think it might also be interesting now. If you have a plant or two that you particularly like and that might be useful for others, drop me an email.

Previous Favourites

Alloxylon flammeum: Tree waratah
Jacksonia scoparia: Dogwood
Banksia media: Southern plains banksia
Correa 'Mannii'
Myoporum floribundum: Slender myoporum
Hibbertia diffusa: Wedge guinea flower
Callistemon 'Injune'

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