There are some Kangaroo paws that tolerate frosts but freezing temperatures may be too much. Clay can be overcome by choosing the correct species.

I think you have one of two choices:

1) Grow as an annual in your garden. You need to choose a species that flowers in its first year. ie: Anigozanthos manglessi. As you may grow this in a garden bed then you need to take the clay soil into account also.

2) Grow in a container. Choose a well drained soil (1:1:1 Coarse sand, Perlite, Peat moss) but you need to keep it in a well lit position especially in winter.

Option 2 may fail.

Thanks, Danili. I potted it up. Our winters are generally mild, with a few freezing spells, so I'll try just bringing it in as necessary and keeping it outside as much as possible. It is a beautiful plant.
By the way, it is way cool to be able to talk internationally with just a click of the mouse. It really is a small world, isn't it?
Again, I appreciate the help.

Hello from Oman!

As Aussies living in the Middle East we are trying to create our own Australian garden.

I'd like some help with Kangaroo Paws. I've had three in tubes brought over from Australia and want to put them in our garden. As we get extreme heat here in the summer - 50 Degrees C + - I'm worried about getting them through the summer. I've potted them and they are in the shade right now but the temperature is climbing every day. Will they survive if I take them indoors?

Can't tell you how great it was to find this site!

Another Hello from the States ~ I am always interesting in trying new plants and love the sound of Kangaroo Paws. I have very sandy soil and it gets quite hot here in the summers - ranges between 85 F to over 100 F most days and VERY cold with lots of wind in the winter. Do KP's take lots of water? Do they need shade? I would like to try Anigozanthos manglessi as it is an annual. Are they easy to start from seeds? and how do I get some?

Here in Wyoming we are in a bad drought just as most of AU is, if anyone has any other suggestion for drought resistant garden's, I would love to know about them.

Marie

Kangaroo paws are from Western Australia, where it is generally hot and dry. Most rain falls in winter. The plants need full sun, and can generally srvive on minimal water (although make sure they have adequate water when flowering). The do best in well drained, slightly acid soil.

Growing Anigozanthos manglesii in heavy soil will be a waste of time and I fear a short life span even in a container.Personally, I think the only KP to begin with is A.flavidus. It is the toughest of the whole range of Anigozanthos tolerating a far wider degree of growing conditions. Growing A.manglesii first off will only discourage you from progressing to the more difficult varieties. It is correct to say that KPs requires full sun but K flavidus does respond to a little summer moisture for best results. A manglesii on the other hand suffers badly from Altenaria alternata or "Ink Spot Desease" and succumbs if too much water is provided and that is why they are quite difficult to grow even in a container. A manglesii is sold in punnets as seedlings these days but I have yet to see garden beds boasting "drifts" of them and I live in Western Australia where the plant comes from.If you were to see where and how they grow in their natural environment,almost pure sand in baking heat it would be easier to understand their requirements.

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).

Can they grow in the Caribbean? I would love to grow them!

Here is a link that might be useful: My rustic bajan garden