How to grow kangaroo paw: the right variety for your climate zone
Kangaroo paws are among the most distinctive plants in Australian horticulture and among the most frequently killed. They are susceptible to blackened foliage, soft rot at the base, or a gradual decline that can be difficult to diagnose.
Getting kangaroo paws right means choosing appropriately for your climate, planting correctly, managing fungal diseases and knowing how hard to prune. They are stunning plants with high wildlife value, so well worth giving a try in your garden.
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The five main garden species of kangaroo paw
Of the eleven Anigozanthos species, five are widely grown in Australian gardens either as straight species or as parents of the hybrid cultivar range.
Mangles kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos manglesii)
WA · SA · Dry temperate Victoria
Anigozanthos manglesii is the floral emblem of Western Australia and the species most people picture when they think of kangaroo paws. It is incredibly striking in flower but among the most demanding in cultivation. Outside its natural Mediterranean climate range it is short-lived and highly susceptible to ink disease in humid conditions. In Perth and Mediterranean SA gardens it is the benchmark species.
Tall kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos flavidus)
All temperate mainland states
Anigozanthos flavidus is the most adaptable of the five species and the one most commonly used as a parent in hybrid breeding programs. It is naturally taller than most species, with flowers in yellow, red and orange. It performs reasonably well across most of temperate Australia including coastal NSW and Victoria. A. flavidus is the best species-form choice for eastern Australian gardeners who want to grow a species rather than a hybrid.
Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Red kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos rufus)
WA · SA · Dry temperate Victoria
Anigozanthos rufus produces deep burgundy-red to dark red flowers on medium-height stems and is one of the most visually distinctive of the species. It is less widely grown than A. manglesii or A. flavidus but is available from specialist nurseries. Like A. manglesii, it performs best in dry temperate and Mediterranean climates and does not tolerate humidity well.
Green kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos viridis)
WA · SA Mediterranean
Anigozanthos viridis is a compact species with bright green flowers — an unusual and striking colour combination in a garden context. It is the most frost-sensitive of the commonly grown species and the most demanding of dry summer conditions. It is suited only to Mediterranean climates with reliable dry summers and is not a practical choice for eastern Australian gardens.
Lennix3, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Dwarf kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos humilis)
WA · SA Mediterranean
Anigozanthos humilis is the smallest of the commonly grown species, producing flowers in yellow, orange and red on short stems close to the ground. It is one of the parents of the compact hybrid cultivars that have become popular for pots and small garden positions. Like A. viridis, it is a Mediterranean specialist that does not perform reliably outside dry temperate and Mediterranean climates.
Photographs by Gnangarra...commons.wikimedia.org, CC BY 2.5 AU, via Wikimedia Commons
Cultivars by climate
The hybrid kangaroo paw cultivar range has expanded significantly since the 1980s, with breeding programs focused on climate tolerance, compact size, disease resistance and extended flowering season. Use the table below to identify the most suitable cultivars for your region.
| Cultivar | Best climate zones |
|---|---|
| Bush RangerDeep red flowers, compact habit, long flowering season | Melbourne · Canberra · Cool to warm temperate |
| Bush GoldBright yellow flowers, compact and reliable | Melbourne · Canberra · Cool to warm temperate |
| Bush DiamondWhite to cream flowers, compact, unusual colour for the genus | Melbourne · Canberra · Cool to warm temperate |
| Bush HazeSoft apricot-pink flowers, compact, suits smaller garden positions | Melbourne · Canberra · Cool to warm temperate |
| Landscape LilacSoft lilac-purple flowers on taller stems, bred for humidity tolerance | Sydney · Brisbane · Warm temperate to subtropical |
| Landscape CoralCoral-orange flowers, taller growth, reliable in humid coastal conditions | Sydney · Brisbane · Warm temperate to subtropical |
| Landscape PinkSoft pink flowers, taller stems, one of the best performers in subtropical gardens | Sydney · Brisbane · Warm temperate to subtropical |
| Amber VelvetRich amber-orange flowers with velvety texture, exceptionally long flowering season | Melbourne · Sydney · Cool to warm temperate coastal |
| Tequila SunriseOrange-yellow bicolour on tall stems, one of the most striking cultivars available | Melbourne · Sydney · Temperate with good drainage |
| Anigozanthos flavidus (yellow)Tall yellow flowers, the most adaptable species for eastern Australia | All temperate mainland states · Best tall species for eastern Australia |
| Anigozanthos flavidus (red)Tall deep red flowers, striking but slightly less robust than the yellow form | All temperate mainland states · Slightly less robust than yellow form |
| Anigozanthos manglesiiVivid red and green bicolour, floral emblem of WA, best in Mediterranean climates only | Perth · Mediterranean WA · SA Mediterranean only |
The kangaroo paw flower — form, function and wildlife value
The tubular, claw-shaped flowers of kangaroo paw are covered in dense velvety hairs — a characteristic that gives the plant its common name and serves a precise ecological function. The hairs trap and transfer pollen, dusting the heads and beaks of honeyeaters as they probe the long floral tube for nectar, making kangaroo paws one of the most effective bird-pollinated plants in the Australian flora.
New Holland honeyeaters, western spinebills and red wattlebirds are among the most frequent visitors and in gardens where kangaroo paws are grown in numbers the floral display can support these species through the late winter and spring period when other nectar sources are limited. Native bees also work the flowers for pollen.
For wildlife gardeners, kangaroo paws offer something relatively rare — a plant that is visually spectacular, structurally distinctive and genuinely useful to the local fauna at the same time.
Why kangaroo paws fail
The following covers the six most common causes of failure in kangaroo paw and how to treat the problems.
1. Wrong climate or cultivar for the climate
All eleven Anigozanthos species are native to Mediterranean southwestern WA, where summers are hot and dry and winters are cool and wet. Most are intolerant of the high summer humidity and warm wet conditions of the eastern seaboard.
In eastern Australian humid climates, choose hybrid cultivars specifically developed for humidity tolerance such as the Landscape series or Landscape Pink. In dry temperate and Mediterranean climates, the species forms and older cultivars perform reliably. In cool temperate climates, choose compact hybrids and provide excellent drainage through winter.
2. Poor drainage
Kangaroo paws evolved in free-draining sandy and gravelly soils. In heavy clay or any soil that holds moisture around the crown and rhizome, they are vulnerable to crown and root rot year-round and to the fungal diseases that thrive in wet conditions. Standing water after rain is a reliable indicator that a position is not suitable without significant soil improvement.
In poorly draining soils, the solution is to mound the planting area by 15–20cm above the surrounding grade, or to plant in raised beds or pots with a free-draining native growing mix. See our soil care guide for more information.
3. Not pruning hard enough
Kangaroo paws need to be cut back hard to within 5–10cm of the ground at least once a year, either after the main flowering flush or in late summer before the autumn growth flush begins. This hard cutback is the primary mechanism through which the plant renews itself.
Sharp secateurs are essential for this as blunt blades crush the rhizome tissue at the base of each stem and create entry points for disease. Clean blades between plants to avoid transferring fungal spores.
4. Overhead watering and wet foliage
Overhead irrigation that wets the foliage and crown of the plant creates the conditions that ink disease and crown rot require. Kangaroo paws should be watered at the base, deeply and infrequently, allowing the soil surface to dry between waterings. A buried terracotta olla beside each plant delivers moisture directly to the root zone without wetting the foliage or crown and is the most effective watering approach for kangaroo paws in hot, dry positions. In humid climates, reduce watering frequency significantly.
5. Excessive fertilising
Like all plants from the Haemodoraceae family, kangaroo paws evolved in nutrient-poor soils and do not benefit from high-nutrient fertilisers. Applying standard fertilisers produces rapid, soft, sappy growth that is more susceptible to fungal disease and less resilient to heat and drought stress. In good free-draining soil with a coarse mulch layer, established kangaroo paws often need no fertiliser at all. See our guide to natural fertilisers for native gardens for safe options.
6. Planting too deeply
Kangaroo paws are rhizomatous plants and the crown must sit at or slightly above soil level. Planting too deeply buries the crown in moist soil and almost guarantees crown rot in wet conditions. When planting, position the plant so that the base of the leaf fans is level with the surrounding soil surface. In mounded positions it can sit fractionally above. Use a hori-hori to open a precise planting slot without disturbing the surrounding soil more than necessary. See our guide to planting natives for the best success for the full technique.
Fungal diseases — identification and treatment
Fungal disease is the most frequent cause of kangaroo paw decline in Australian gardens. Identifying which one you are dealing with is the necessary first step before any treatment is applied.
Ink disease (Collectotrichum or Alternaria sp.)
Ink disease is caused by fungal pathogens that thrive in warm, humid, poorly ventilated conditions. Ink disease presents as:
- black streaking or blotching on the leaves and stems
- pattern varies from fine longitudinal black lines to broad irregular patches that can cover most of the leaf surface
- in advanced cases the entire plant appears blackened and may seem dead
Prevention is more effective than treatment:
- Cut plants back hard after flowering to remove all affected foliage and improve air circulation around the crown
- Water at the base only or use an olla, never overhead
- Avoid mulch in direct contact with the crown of the plant
- Plant with adequate spacing — at least 60–80cm between plants of medium cultivars — to allow air movement
- Choose humidity-tolerant cultivars in wet coastal climates
Treating ink disease in kangaroo paw
- Remove all blackened foliage with clean secateurs, wiping blades with methylated spirits between cuts to avoid spreading spores
- For persistent or severe infections, a copper-based fungicide applied to the foliage and crown can reduce spore load
- Do not use synthetic fungicides indiscriminately as these disrupt the soil biology around the plant
Crown rot and root rot (Phytophthora sp.)
Unlike ink disease, crown and root rot are almost always caused by drainage failure rather than management of the above-ground plant. Once established in the root and crown tissue, neither can be effectively treated. These issues present as:
Crown rot
- collapse of the leaf fans from the base
- sudden wilting despite moist soil
- crown tissue is soft and discoloured when examined
- smell at the base is distinctly unpleasant
Root rot
- root rot shows similar symptoms as crown rot
- the crown may remain firm while the roots are dark and mushy
- airflow in the soil is poor leading to anaerobic conditions — this has a distinctive, foul smell
Prevention of both issues is entirely through drainage management and correct planting depth. Never plant kangaroo paws where water pools after rain and always ensure the crown sits at or above soil level.
Rust (Puccinia sp.)
Rust on kangaroo paws spreads via airborne spores and is most problematic in cool, humid conditions. Rust presents as:
- small orange-brown pustules on the underside of leaves
- corresponding yellow spots on the upper surface
- significant defoliation in susceptible cultivars during cool, wet weather
Treating rust in kangaroo paw
Rust is rarely fatal but reduces the plant's vigour and appearance. To treat:
- Remove affected foliage promptly with clean secateurs
- Dispose of it away from the garden — do not compost affected material
- Apply a sulphur-based fungicide to the foliage as a preventative in high-risk seasons
- Improve air circulation and avoid overhead watering
- Select hybrid cultivars bred for disease resistance
Kangaroo paws in the Australian garden
Kangaroo paws are not difficult plants in the right conditions but they will be demanding in the wrong ones. The difference between a thriving kangaroo paw and a declining one almost always comes down to drainage, cultivar selection for climate and the willingness to cut back hard after flowering. Get those three things right and the fungal diseases that frustrate most gardeners become manageable.
See our first year failure guide for what to watch for during establishment, our pruning guide for pruning timing across a range of native species and our soil care guide for how to approach drainage improvement in challenging sites.
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