Kangaroo Paw Bush Celebrations Jazz

Kangaroo Paw 'Bush Celebrations Jazz' (Anigozanthos 'Bush Celebrations Jazz') is a compact Western Australian native that tops out at about 80cm including the flower stems, on a clump roughly 50cm wide. The furred paw flowers open in shades of red and pink above strappy green foliage, and they last for weeks on the plant and in a vase. At this size it belongs in a pot or at the front of a bed, where a taller kangaroo paw would flop.

Why you'll love it

• Compact enough for a pot. A 400mm container suits one clump, so it works on a balcony or beside a doorway rather than only in a big garden bed.
• Long flowering. The main display runs through spring and into summer, and cutting the spent stems out often brings a second flush.
• Honeyeaters find it quickly. The nectar rich paws are built for birds, and a group of three or five will have them visiting daily.
• Dry climate credentials. Drought tolerant, heat tolerant and salt tolerant, which makes it a genuine option for coastal, Mediterranean and inland gardens.

Where it works best

Pots and small gardens. One clump per pot, in a free draining mix. Potting also lets you give it the sharp drainage it wants where garden soil is heavy.

Mass planting and borders. Plant 40cm apart for a continuous band of foliage and flower along a path or driveway edge. Drifts of five or more read far better than single plants.

Feature planting. Set a group against gravel, rock or a pale wall so the flower colour has something plain behind it.

Growing kangaroo paw in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, all day, with good air movement around the clump. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, Mediterranean and arid gardens. It handles light frost only, so cold inland districts should pot it and shelter it over winter. Humid tropical gardens are the weak point, since still, damp air encourages the black marking known as ink spot.

Soil. Sandy or gravelly and sharply drained. On clay, plant on a raised mound or in a pot. Keep mulch coarse and pulled back from the crown, because a wet collar rots the plant.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, then only during dry spells. Use a low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring; standard fertilisers carry too much phosphorus for this genus.

Pruning. Cut spent flower stems right down at the base as they finish. Every second or third year, cut the whole clump back to about 100mm in late winter to remove old foliage and trigger fresh growth.

What to expect when it arrives

This variety is grown in tubes and in 140mm pots sold in packs of ten. Tubes are young divisions with a few leaves and are the economical way to plant a drift, taking a season to reach flowering size. The 140mm plants are established clumps that often flower in their first season.

Strappy foliage can arrive creased or bent from transit and grows out quickly. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read the full kangaroo paw care guide
• Browse other Australian native plants
• See what else suits growing in pots
• Compare more bird attracting plants

Common questions

How far apart should I plant them?

Forty centimetres apart for a solid band. Leave a little more room in humid gardens, since airflow between clumps is the best defence against leaf marking.

Why are the leaves going black at the tips?

That is ink spot, a fungal marking brought on by humidity and overhead watering. Cut the affected leaves out at the base, water at ground level, and thin crowded clumps.

Will it come back every year?

Yes, it is a perennial that grows from a rhizome. Cutting the clump back hard every second or third winter keeps it vigorous rather than woody and sparse.