Guv's Gardens
Photo: Calistemon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Sun
- Full sun.
- Soil
- Well-drained, slightly sandy.
- Water
- Water regularly at the base; avoid overwatering in winter.
- Hardiness
- Most climates. Short-lived (3-5 years); heavy frost damages plants.
- Height and spread
- 0.5-2 m (flower stems).
Guv's tipCut the whole kangaroo paw clump back to about 10 cm in late winter or early spring. Water at the base and go easy in winter.
Through the year
Timings are for temperate Australia. Tropical and arid gardens follow different seasons.
When to plant
Autumn (through to early spring).
Flowering
Late spring-summer; some hybrids almost year-round in frost-free areas.
Pruning
Cut spent flower stems at the base. Cut the whole clump back to about 10 cm in late winter or early spring.
Making more plants
Division (spring-early summer or early autumn); seed.
Watch out for
Snails and slugs
Look for: Chewed seedlings; slime trails.
What to do: Hand-pick at night, use beer traps, or use iron-based pellets.
Ink spot (ink disease)
Fungal.Look for: Blackening of leaves (and flowers), starting at the tips and spreading down.
What to do: Remove and bin affected foliage and water at the base. Spray advice varies: a copper-based fungicide is sometimes suggested, but no product is currently known to control it reliably.
Always read and follow the label on any treatment, and check it is approved for use where you live.
Safety and spread
Pets and people: Not listed as toxic by the ASPCA or NC State Plant Toolbox pet-poison lists.
Weed risk: Not listed as a weed on Weeds Australia or NSW WeedWise.
The Plant Doctor and the Guv's book
Printable pest and disease charts with real photographs, and all 50 Australia plants in one book.
