Anigozanthos

( an - ig - oh - ZANTH - us )

At-A-Glance Information

Commonly called Kangaroo Paw or Catspaw, this evergreen genus from southwestern Australia produces fans of dark green leaves and spikes from thick, rhizomatic roots. Spikes are topped with fuzzy, tubular flowers in red, purple, green, or yellow. These plants will bloom from late spring to fall if expired flower stalks are cut to the ground. Great as cut flowers. These plants will attract hummingbirds to your garden, who receive nectar in exchange for their pollination services.

Anigozanthos Species and Varietals

The genus Anigozanthos is a member of the plant family Haemodoraceae and includes 11 species. This genus was formally named by French botanist Jaques Labillardiere in his publication Relation du Voyage a la Recherche de la Perouse. The best zones for growing Kangaroo Paw are 15-24. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Anigozanthos bicolor (Cat's Paw, Little Kangaroo Paw, Two Colored Kangaroo Paw)
This native of coastal Western Australia and was first formally described in 1846 by botanist Stephan Endlicher. Flowers are green, yellow and red and bloom in spring and summertime. It grows naturally in moist areas that are wet in wintertime in open forest and low heathland environments.

Anigozanthos flavidus (Tall Kangaroo Paw, Evergreen Kangaroo Paw, Yellow Kangaroo Paw)
This species was first described in 1807 by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle. Branching stems reach up to 5 feet tall and hold yellow-green flowers tinged with red. Foliage clump is 2-3 feet wide. Varieties come with flowers in shades of red, pink, orange, or brown. This species can live for upwards of 30 years in the garden.

Anigozanthos gabrielae (Dwarf Kangaroo Paw)
This species is endemic to western Australia, and grows in sandy areas that are wet in the wintertime. Flowers are red and green, and each inflorescence holds multiple flowers.

Anigozanthos humilis (Catspaw, Common Catspaw)
This low-growing species is native to Southwest Australia and occurs in open forest areas. It was first described in 1840 by John Lindley in A Sketch of the Vegetation of the Swan River Colony. Flower buds are yellow, fading to orange and red at their openings.
Anigozanthos Hybrids
This group of Kangaroo Paws hybridize freely in nature and cultivation. Foliage clumps range from about a foot across to 3 feet wide. Smaller varieties are great as container plants. The Bush Gems Series hybrids (those with 'bush' at the beginning of their name) were bred to resist leaf and root diseases that commonly afflict Kangaroo Paw plants. Varietals are outlined below.
'Amber Velvet'
To 3-4 feet tall with orange, yellow, and red flowers.
'Autumn Mystery'
Yellow-brown flowers with touches of red.
'Big Red'
Extra large, bright red blossoms on 3-4 foot tall stems.
'Bush Baby'
Flowers that blend to red, orange, and yellow on 1.5 foot stems.
'Bush Ember'
1-2 foot tall dwarf with flame-colored flowers; good for containers.
'Bush Emerald'
Green flowers with yellow throats and brilliant orange anthers bloom on 2-2.5 foot tall stems.
'Bush Glow'
With golden-orange flowers, to 1-2 feet tall.
'Bush Gold'
Bears clear-lemon yellow flowers above lime green leaves and blooms for a long period.
'Bush Inferno'
With intensely red flowers. 
'Bush Lantern'
1-2 foot tall dwarf variety, great for container plantings. Bright yellow flowers.
'Bush Pearl'
Bubblegum-pink blossoms atop 2 foot tall stems.
'Bush Ranger'
Long-lived, to 1.5-2.5 feet wide foliage with clear red blooms.
'Gold Velvet'
To 3-4 feet tall with golden-yellow flowers.
'Harmony'
Yellow flowers top 4-6 foot tall stems with bright red hairs.
'King's Park Federation Flame'
To 1.5 feet tall, with bright orange-red flowers.
'Lilac Queen'
5-6 feet tall with mauve-lilac and almost white flowers.
'Pink Joey'
Pink, silvery flowers sit on stems that reach 1-3 feet tall.
'Regal Paw'
With orange and red flowers on a plant up to 5 feet tall.
'Regal Velvet'
​Good frost tolerance, to 4-5 feet tall with red and green flowers.
'Red Cross'
4-5 feet tall with rich burgundy flowers.

Anigozanthos kabarriensis (Kalbarri Catspaw)
This plant is native to the south western coastal areas of Western Australia, and reaches between 4 and 8 inches tall at maturity. Flowers are red, green, or yellow and bloom in springtime. 

​Anigozanthos manglesii (Red-And-Green Kangaroo Paw, Mangles' Kangaroo Paw, Kurulbrang)
Unbranched green stems are about three feet tall and have red hairs. Flowers are deep green with red bases. Clump  of foliage is 1.5 to 2 feet tall. This plant is the floral emblem of Western Australia.

​Fun Fact: The Kangaroo Paw plant is featured on the emblem of Western Australia.
Anigozanthos manglessii, or Mangles' Kangaroo Paw, is the species featured, with its fan-like flower inflorescence forming a beautiful surround for the crown. Most Anigozanthos species are found in Western Australia, making it fitting that the plant is used on the emblem.

Anigozanthos onycis (Branched Catspaw)
This species is considered rare, and is native to Southwest Australia in sandy woodlands and swampy areas. It was first described by Alex George in 1974, named for the claw-like structure of the flower inflorescence (onyx meaning talon or claw in Greek). Flowers are cream and red. This species has a single pollinator which evolved alongside it, the Tawny-Crowned Honeyeater.

Anigozanthos preissii (Albany Cat's Paw)
Flowers are yellow, orange, and red on these species and leaves are greyish-green, forming in a rosette at the base of the flower stems. It is endemic to Western Australia, where it naturally grows in coastal regions. This species was named for botanist Ludwig Preiss, 

Anigozanthos pulcherrimus (Yellow Kangaroo Paw)
This species is native to Western Australia, and reaches a little over three feet tall. Flowers are yellow.

Anigozanthos rufus (Red Kangaroo Paw, Crimson Kangaroo Paw, Backdraft)
Red Kangaroo Paw reaches between 8 inches and 3.5 feet tall, and has grey-green flappy leaves. Flowers are purple to red to yellow, and have a velvety texture. 

Anigozanthos viridis (Green Kangaroo Paw, Koroylbardany)
This plant typically reaches between 2 inches and 3.5 feet tall, and has unique green flowers that bloom in springtime. It is native to Western Australia, where it grows in damp loam or clay soils. The roots of this species are eaten by the Noongar people of Australia.

Caring for Anigozanthos

Plant your Kangaroo Paw in full sun exposure (somewhere that receives between 6 and 8 hours of direct sun each day). These easy-care plants prefer light sandy soil or heavier soil amended to improve drainage, and do especially well in loamy soils. If local soils are particularly poor in nutrients or do not drain well, make sure to amend the planting area with plenty of organic compost before installing. Anigozanthos prefers a soil pH of between 5.8 and 6.5, and for soil to dry out slightly between waterings. In cooler months, watering can be greatly lessened; overwatering in the wintertime is one of the main causes of root rot issues. Kangaroo Paws are not heavy feeders, but to boost foliage and bloom during the active growing months, a dressing of organic compost can be applied each year in springtime. After planting Kangaroo Paw, mulch around the base of the plant with organic mulching material to help retain soil moisture and suppress weed growth. Keep mulch away from the plant stems, as this can encourage an environment for root rot issues to take hold.

Pruning Kangaroo Paw includes cutting back spent flower stems to the base of the plant and trimming or otherwise removing dead or damaged foliage to maintain a neat appearance. If growing Kangaroo Paw in containers, plants will need to be divided every few years to avoid becoming over-crowded or container-bound; follow the instructions for propagation by division below. Consider covering your Kangaroo Paw plants in the wintertime with frost cloth when the temperatures will be dropping below freezing. Alternatively, container-grown plants can be moved indoors or to a frost-free area during the cooler months.

Propagation

Anigozanthos can be propagated either by division or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the division method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your flower, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Anigozanthos by Seed
  1. Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
  2. Harvest your seeds. The seed pods on plants are pretty easy to spot, they're left behind after flowers have faded. Once they have dried out and begun to split open, you can harvest the seeds inside. Cut them off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will continue to split open and release the seeds contained inside. Once they have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them.
  3. In either late winter or early springtime, get your container prepared. Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 2-6 weeks from sowing (the best temperature range for germinating Anigozanthos seeds is between 65 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit). Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
  4. Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 65 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.

Propagating Anigozanthos by Division
This type of propagation is relatively simple; you will need a clean shovel, mulch, fresh soil (any kind will do, though it does need to be well-draining), compost and pots (12 inch pots will do, and these are only necessary if you will be saving divided plants for transporting elsewhere). Division is best done in very early spring (after the plant has entered dormancy, but before it has begun its new spring growth), and needs to be done every few years regardless of whether you have the goal of propagating the plants for best performance. To propagate by division, follow these steps:
  1. Using a shovel, dig up your existing plant. Start from the outside and work your way in to avoid damaging the rhizome(s). Once you have worked it up out of the ground, lay it out.
  2. Start to tease apart the roots with your gloved fingers. Once the roots are untangled, separate your plant into segments, ensuring that each one has at least one thick rhizome section attached.
  3. Prepare your pot(s) or new planting site(s) with amended, well-draining soil. You can either bring in new soil or simply amend your existing soil with compost to complete this task. Then, plant your divided rhizomes about an inch under the soil surface and water thoroughly.
  4. Apply a thick layer of mulch over the new planting to protect it from cold weather as it acclimates to its new home. Then, enjoy watching it sprout in the next growing season.
A dried seed pod of an Anigozanthos manglesii plant, ready to be harvested for its contents.
Anigozanthos seeds are small and black.
Kangaroo Paw plants pulled out of the ground, ready to be divided.
Culms and rhizomatic roots of Kangaroo Paw plants.

Problems and Pests

Kangaroo Paw is considered an easy-care plant, and is relatively resistant to most pests and diseases but can be susceptible to the following issues if conditions are right:
  • Snails and Slugs
  • Root Rot
  • Aphids
  • Powdery Mildew
  • Ink Spot Disease
For more information on these problems, including how to solve them, see the following links:
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Gallery

These plants can fill in parking strips well.
These bright flowers are great choices for walk-ups and front yards, where they can make a bold statement.
Plant Anigozanthos among succulents for a desert oasis look.
Some varieties of Kangaroo Paw plants have pink flowers.
Anigozanthos grows well in sandy environments.
Kangaroo Paw plants blend well with many landscapes, including traditional, desert, and tropical.
These plants can do well on some neglect, and will produce flowers over a long season.
The flowers of Kangaroo Paw are fuzzy and stiff.
Kangaroo Paw can be grown in containers.

Videos

How to prune Kangaroo Paw plants.
Great tips for keeping your Kangaroo Paw healthy.
Is your Kangaroo Paw plant struggling? Watch this quick video to find out why.
Watch how a fun new variety of Kangaroo Paw with blue flowers was created.
How to fertilize and otherwise care for these beautiful garden flowers.
Learn about Blue Kangaroo Paw.
How to harvest a Kangaroo Paw plant for cut flowers.
How to grow and care for Anigozanthos flowers.

Resources

Pruning and Maintaining 'Kangaroo Paws' (Anigozanthos)
The Basics of Kangaroo Paw Plant Care
How to Grow and Care for Kangaroo Paw Plants
Rhizomes and Sand Binding Roots
Anigozanthos (Kangaroo Paw)
Wikipedia: Anigozanthos
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Pages 153-154, Anizoganthos

Kangaroo Paws and Catspaws: A Natural History and Field Guide by Stephen D. Hopper (1993)

This book is a great guide to the many varieties of Kangaroo Paws and Catspaws endemic to Australia, including their native habitats and other botanical information. 
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or photos you’d like to add to the gallery, please let me know by sending me a message using the button below!
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