Kangaroo Paw is the common name for a group of Australia rhizomatous herbaceous perennials in the genus Anigozanthos. This genus is in the Haemodoraceae, a family which is represented by 13 genera, primarily restricted to the southern Hemisphere. (Lophiloa - a small perennial bog plant is found in the eastern USA). There are 11 species of Anigozanthos that are restricted to the south-west corner of Western Australia. The bird pollinated flowers are tubular and split lengthwise with the 6 lobed "claws" being on the upper side of the flower. Often theses flowers are brilliantly colored and are sometimes clothed by contrasting colored hairs.
San Marcos has grown many of the different species and cultivars of Anigozanthos for over 20 years. In 1991 San Marcos Growers' General Manager and Horticulturist Randy Baldwin spoke at the Australian Plant Symposium on the history of cultivation of Kangaroo Paws and how best to propagate and grow these beautiful and interesting plants. The syllabus for this talk is now on our website together with an update on what has been happening with these plants in the ensuing years. In addition, there has been quite a bit of confusion over the identity of some cultivars so, to aid our customers and their clients, we have posted an information page that describes the different cultivars with comparison images of their flowers.
