Best Kangaroo Paw Companion Plants

Kangaroo paws are green perennials with vibrant evergreen colors, native to Australia. These plants are usually borne on leafless and flowering stalks, with remarkable flowers clustered at the end of their stalks. Kangaroo paws are available in different shades of colors like red, orange, yellow, green, and even pink and purple. 

The blossoms of the kangaroo paw plants are not aromatic, but this plant somehow manages to attract birds, butterflies, and several pollinators.

It is a good thing that the kangaroo paw attracts these birds because they depend on these birds for pollination.

This article will guide you on the various kangaroo paw companion plants as well as how to care for the plant.

Kangaroo Paw Companion Plants 

There are a lot of companion plants for the kangaroo paw, and before you choose any plant to go with your other plants, you should look for certain factors like if the plant has similar needs, preferences, and care instructions as your plant. 

In this case, you would need to pair kangaroo paw plants with another drought-resistant and heat-loving plant that grows in a tropical environment.

Some of the best companion plants for kangaroo plants include:

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1. California Poppy

The Californian poppy would make a great garden bed partner with your kangaroo palms because it is a flowering plant that matches the needs and requirements of the kangaroo plants.

In cases where you want the kangaroo plant to stand out in the flower bird, you can plant a cacti species with your paw plant instead. 

3. Blue Chalk stick 

The blue chalk stick is a subtle and fantastic companion plant for the kangaroo plant. The color, scent, and plant needed for the blue chalk stick are similar to that of the kangaroo palm. 

Varieties Of Kangaroo Paw Plants 

There are about 12 different species of kangaroo paw plants. Eleven out of the 12 of them belong to anigozanthos flavors. The term anigozanthos flavors also mean plants that grow tall, meaning most of these species are tall growing plants. These perennial plants are massive and can sprout up to 10 stems per plant. 

The tall species of the kangaroo paw come in yellow, red, orange, pink, and even green hues. The wider varieties have been said to have a lifespan of about 30 years, primarily seen in yellow and red colors. Some fantastic varieties of the kangaroo paw plants include; 

• Cape aurora: These cape aurora plants bloom in the spring and summer and sprout bright yellow and fuzzy flowers with long stems
• Bush pearl: This species is said to have a silvery pink bloom that can last all year long and performs well as a good container plant
• Pink joey: The pink aurora plant is similar to the cape aurora, except its flower heads are colored salmon instead of yellow
• Dwarf delight: The dwarf delight lives almost twice as long as the perennial versions and can survive frosts. The dwarf delight is well known for its availability in several colors, whatever color you can think of

How To Care for The Kangaroo Paw Plants 

The kangaroo plants are pretty and hardy and drought resistant, but during the blooming season, you will most likely get the most out of them. It would help if you were watering at least one inch of the water on the plant per week, and by doing so, you would be promoting its early blooms per growing season. 

After the blooms begin to fade, you should cut off six inches, that is, with the leaves inclusive, and you would be able to see a small burst of blooms again for much smaller varieties. You should ensure that you do not trim the back of the stems. You should remove fans of the foliage and a bloom stalk instead. 

When watering the plant, you should ensure that you do not need excess water to prevent root rot and yellowing of the plants, and you should also plant these kangaroo plants in well-draining soil because it adapts well to hot environments.

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Pest And Diseases of Kangaroo Paw Plants

When grown in the wild outdoors, the kangaroo paw is resistant to most diseases, and when it is grown indoors instead, you should keep an eye out for diseases like the spider mite.

So how do you know that spider mites are attacking your plant? Easy, you would see webbings made by spiders on your plant leaves and that area changing from green to either brown or yellow colors. 

To fix this quickly, you should take your plant outside quickly and water immediately with a lot of water; this is believed to wash away any spider mites that may be hanging around before you take any other measure to clear the yellow and brown spots. 

Suppose you want to go a more effective way. Although, in that case, you can spray your kangaroo paw plant with neem oil or even miticide, a more biological fix would be to release predator insects like the ladybugs or lacewings to battle these spider mites. 

Another plant that the kangaroo paw is susceptible to is paw disease. If your plant is affected, this fungus will start to blacken the stems and leaves of your plant, and if you see any ink spot diseases, you should take the necessary actions.

However, since the kangaroo paw is a hardy plant, you shouldn’t panic too much because it would bounce back to its original self when given the proper care. 

Kangaroo Paw Growing Conditions 

The kangaroo paw plant does very well in the USDA growing zones 9 to 11. Since this plant loves the sun too much,  you do not need to plant it in the shade.

Always planting a kangaroo paw plant in your house is not stressful because it doesn’t require tons of nutrients to survive. Once you have provided it with a lean and light soil condition and enough light, you are good to go. 

Some people might want to own a kangaroo paw plant, but their environment does not support the plant’s growth. However, you can always plant the kangaroo paw plants in containers because they don’t mind the shrinkage of their roots as long as you provide them with the needed nutrients.

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Planting 

The best way to plant your kangaroo paw plant is by division. You can also start from seeds, but that would require a bit more patience as you need to soak the seeds in hot water for about two weeks before even taking further steps.

Then, after the water has softened the seed coat, you would need to leave it for another six weeks for germination. 

You can now pick a lean and light soil that is well draining and finally transplant there. You would not need too many fertilizers because the plant will sprout with the correct amount of compost and sunlight.