Red and Green Kangaroo Paw
Anigozanthos manglesii
EnvironmentThey are only naturally found in the southwest of Western Australia. They occur in a variety of habitats and soil types. The average amount of rainfall annually in this area is 406mm. The average temperature in summer there is 25-35oc and in winter it is recorded to be between 8-16oc. They range in height from 50 centimetres to the tallest being roughly 2 metres. They are able to tolerate a wide range of soils and climatic conditions including humid summers. They flower between the months of August and October. The image below shows the where kangaroo paws can be naturally found in Australia
Image taken from: http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=21241
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Challenges the plant facesThe plants are susceptible to developing ink spot disease, which begins as isolated black spots on older leaves that eventually die. Over time this can eventually kill the whole plant as this disease causes withering of the stems and destruction of the flowers.
They are also affected by slugs and snails as they bite into the leaves deep enough to expose the vascular bundles and they eat away long strips of tissue. Another challenge they face is that aphids can infest kangaroo paws during spring and Autumn which can also kill the plants as the aphids suck the fluids from the plant. Interesting Facts- The kangaroo paw gets it's name from the shape of their flowers, which resemble the paw of a kangaroo.
- Kangaroo paws are the floral emblem of western Australia. |
Image taken from: http://dawsonsgardenworld.com.au/product/anigozanthos-bush-dance-common-name-red-green-kangaroo-paw-150mm-pot/