I have one of those Anigozanthos manglesii hybrids Typical of the species being a shorter-lived variety best suited to patio pots! It lasted around five months in the pot here. Anigozanthos Bush Dance And its mate Anigozanthos Bush Bonanza lasted a few weeks longer. Sure hope you have better luck with yours Cheers.. Mary-Anne

I agree that A. flavidus would be better than A. manglesii. My excusion with A.manglessii almost turned me away from 'roo paws - but thankfully, I am a revived believer. I also live in Perth, WA, where the 'roo paws originate. I thought some of the 'roo paws also grow in the South west, where it can get pretty cold (but not snowy cold) and does get a bit more temperate summers. As WA is such a large state, our temperature conditions do vary considerably, so although most of the state is hot and sunny, there are big chunks of it (generally south), which are not. I think modern gardeners can grow almost anything, provided that they try and mimic the plant's optimal growing conditions. Muscat trish - I don't see why you can't take them indoors provided that they get some sun from a window. Alternatively, have you tried shade cloth? Make sure you keep up water. I found that my 'roo paws needed water in our hot summers. Marie from Wyoming - I am not sure about how you could source some 'roo paws - but you could try some of the online Aus. nurseries. As for wind and rain, certainly A. flavidus is ok with it. As Follicle says, A. manglessii does not cope with humidity too well. As for drought resistant gardens, I know nothing about locally indigenous plants from Wyoming, but have you thought about what local plants grow well? If you want to venture into Australian plants, there are plenty of Australian plants which are fantastic in drought prone climates, but still need watering for the first year or two. Thereafter, they literally fend for themselves. Depending on what type of garden you are after - you can also think about some other exotic plants which need little summer watering (eg figs, olives, rosemary).

you can certainly plant them , but i have my doubts that they would survive your winters, too cold for them , but give them a go anyway

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