Kangaroo Paw

Kangaroo Paw 'Bush Princess' (Anigozanthos 'Bush Princess') is a dwarf selection from the Bush Gems breeding line, built for gardens and pots rather than paddocks. It holds to about 60cm tall and 50cm wide, with red and orange furred flowers on short stems above a neat fan of strappy leaves. The compact habit is the point: full sized kangaroo paws flop at 2m, and this one does not.

Why you'll love it

• Short stems that stand up. At around 60cm the flower stems hold themselves without staking, so the display survives wind and summer storms.
• Honeyeaters come to it. The nectar filled flowers draw small nectar feeding birds, often in the first season after planting.
• Made for pots. The size and the upright fan of foliage suit a container on a balcony or beside a doorway.
• Tough where it counts. Drought, heat and salt tolerant once established, and one hard cut back a year is the entire maintenance program.

Where it works best

Pots and containers. A 300mm to 400mm pot with free draining mix holds a single clump. Keep it in full sun and lift it clear of a saucer so it never stands in water.

Mass planting and borders. Plant 40cm apart through a bed or along a path. At that spacing the fans of foliage meet and the flower stems read as a continuous band of colour.

Feature planting. Grouped in threes or fives among gravel, it gives the vertical accent that dry style gardens need.

Growing Kangaroo Paw 'Bush Princess' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun and good air movement. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, Mediterranean and arid to semi arid gardens. It takes light frost only, so hard frosting gardens need a pot that can be moved under shelter. Humid summers encourage ink spot, the black marking on older leaves, so airflow matters more than most people expect.

Soil. Sharp drainage is essential, and sandy or gravelly soil is ideal. On clay, plant on a mound with coarse sand worked through, and keep mulch thin and away from the crown.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, then only in long dry spells, and water at the base rather than over the foliage. Feed lightly with a low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring.

Pruning. Cut the whole clump back to about 100mm above the ground once flowering finishes. This looks drastic and is exactly right: clean foliage and a better display follow within weeks. Divide congested clumps every three to four years.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in two sizes: single tubes and 140mm pots in packs of ten. Tubes are the sensible choice for mass planting a bed, since kangaroo paws establish quickly from small stock. The 140mm plants are a season ahead and many flower in their first spring.

Strappy foliage travels well, and a few creased leaves on arrival will be removed at the first cut back anyway. Expect new leaf growth within three to four weeks in warm weather. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the Australian native plant range
• Plants that attract birds to the garden
• Plants that perform in pots
• Designing a native garden for wildlife

Common questions

What are the black marks on the leaves?

That is ink spot, a fungal marking common on kangaroo paws in humid weather. It is disfiguring rather than fatal. Cut the clump back hard after flowering, improve airflow, and water at the base instead of over the foliage.

How far apart should I plant it?

Forty centimetres apart for mass planting or a border. Each clump reaches about 50cm across, so at that spacing they just touch, which keeps the planting full while leaving air movement between plants.

Will it grow in a humid climate?

It is best in subtropical, warm temperate, Mediterranean and drier inland gardens. In humid areas it can still work in a raised, breezy position, but expect more leaf marking and a shorter lived plant.