The amazing Kangaroo Paw is our pet-friendly subscription plant of the month for March 2021. Accompanied by the show-stealing zebra planter!
Kangaroo Paw is a superb plant for growing in any sunny position in homes, conservatories, or even outside during the warmer weeks of summer. We really like the unusual structure of the blooms and know that they will be a fantastic talking point in your indoor plant collections.
It is also a tough plant and easy to look after, so specialist skill isn’t required in enabling the plant to produce flowers in spring and summer. As a bonus, it is even known to pop a few extra flowers up in autumn and winter, so we simply couldn’t resist it!
Native habitat
It won’t be a surprise to find out that your Kangaroo’s Paw is a native to Australia. In the South West of Australia, it grows outside and
flowers most of the year, but here in the UK, it’s best in your home where it will flower strongly in spring and summer and occasionally pop a few blooms up at any other time of year.
Light and position in the home
Your kangaroo paw needs it as sunny as you can provide. If we are lucky enough to get a warm summer, it can also be placed outside on a sunny balcony or patio for a few weeks.
Foliage and flowers
Other-worldly flower spikes emerge from the rosette of evergreen leaves and produce blooms in orange, red or yellow. The blooms themselves are curious with irregular shaping and soft, velvet like hairs. It is an absolute showstopper.
Pet friendly?
This plant is non-toxic to cats and dogs.
Temperature
Your kangaroo’s paw is tough but doesn’t want to be too cold. But if the temperature stays above 10 degrees Celsius then everything will tick along quite happily. If things get above 40 degrees Celsius plant growth may start to slow down, but then again everything else will in your house at that extreme temperature!
Watering
Keep your plant well-watered and always allow the water to drain out of the bottom of the plastic pot before putting back into any pot cover. In late spring and summer, you may need to water every two days – this depends on how sunny and active your plant is. Reduce watering in autumn and winter as light levels fall.
Did you know?
Florists love using the flower spikes in arrangements as they last well as a cut flower and add a tropical, almost mysterious chic to any arrangement.
