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Australian Native Plants

Kangaroo paws

9 years ago

We've been trying for years to grow kangaroo paws along our side fence, where they get mainly morning sun. I've tried cutting them right back to get new growth (there wasn't much) and we even feed and water them sometimes, but they keep dying. I look at the big bushy kangaroo paws in other gardens and wonder what we're doing wrong! Maybe they're just not getting enough sun, but would that make them actually go brown and die?

Comments (3)

tropicbreezent
9 years ago
Hard to imagine Kangaroo Paws not doing well in WA. There must be something about the soil you're placing them in. Maybe you're giving them too much fertiliser. As a native they wouldn't need much. Also, most Australian natives don't like phosphorus which is in most fertilisers. You can get fertiliser specially made for natives. Whereabouts in WA are you.
Woko
9 years ago
I believe most, if not all, Kangaroo Paws grow naturally in sandy soil so they wouldn't require much, if any, fertilizer since nutrients are quickly leached from sand.
What sort of soil are your Paws growing in, Rainbow7? If necessary, can you replicate as closely as possible their natural conditions?
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Not sure, Jenn, but thinking that maybe he's grouping them with grasses. I'm going to talk with him next week about NOT doing this this year, and letting them grow. I can trim out the spent flower stalks to encourage more bloom. I was somewhat horrified myself when he did it the first time. Didn't check with anyone, and he did it a second time last fall. That's when I figured this was absolutely not the right thing to do for this species. Confirmed in the MG class. Patty S.
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No real secret to growing the easiest hybrids with Anigozanthus flavidus parentage, but they do prefer both good drainage and regular warm season irrigation. In habitat they even well tolerate seasonal winter flooding and summer wild fires. Full sun, good air circulation, planting out in cooler months to minimize drought stress,(typical nursery container mixes for them very quickly dry out if you aren't adequately wetting the root ball, and probably accounts for most plant deaths). They are extremely easy once established, but don't crowd the foliage or insist on overhead spray irrigation which encourages ink spot disease.
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Here is a different shot showing the original plant as well as the new one. I wonder if the Dianella was cohabiting with the Kangaroo Paw in the original pot? If it was then it has taken 4-5 years to appear. Or it may have been there all the time but never flowered due to me pruning back the KP all the time. Thanks for the feedback.
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Sorry to be a bore and just do a copy and paste answer like any mug can do but I can't help but feel that the problem with Kangaroo Paws is that they are difficult. So, it's not you, it's them. Here's a snippet on their care: Cultivation Requirements In general kangaroo paws grow best in well-drained soils in a sunny position. Well-composted organic matter will improve growth. It is advisable to regard kangaroo paws as short-lived plants. Experience at the Gardens has shown that plant performance declines after 3 to 5 years. Some species, for example, Anigozanthos manglesii, are best considered annuals. Dividing the clumps will help retain vigour. Some organic matter should be added to the soil after division. Most species are dormant over winter (some die back completely) and it is important not to over-water at this time. At the Gardens, kangaroo paws are cut back to within about 10 cm of the ground in late winter. In this way diseased and frost damaged leaves are removed, reducing the chance that they will harbour pests and diseases. https://www.anbg.gov.au/anigozanthos/index.html
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growd
9 years ago
The most common problem with kangaroo paw is overwatering. Check the soil where it's growing to see whether it isn't just accidentally planted in a patch of clay, if so, move it. Otherwise take it our and build up a bed slightly above ground level, fill with well draining soil and replant. That should leave your kangaroo paw dry enough to do well. The one across the road might be slightly elevated above ground level and therefore isn't swamped when it gets watered.

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