Anigozanthos 
‘Dwarf Delight’ 
Plants of the singularly arresting genus 
Anigozanthos, more commonly known as 
the kangaroo paws, are becoming widely 
recognised in horticulture as ornamentals 
and for their use in the cut flower trade. 
They are a group of perennial plants from 
Western Australia which have strap¬ 
shaped leaves and rhizomes. 
Anigozanthos, which belongs to the 
family Haemodoraceae, includes eleven 
species. All are restricted to the south¬ 
west corner of Western Australia ranging 
from north of Geraldton on the west coast 
to east of Esperance on the south coast. 
The unique flowers are tubular and occur 
in colours of yellow to orange, red and 
green. Several flowers are grouped 
together at the end of long stems and, with 
their 5 protruding stamens, each looks like 
the paw of a kangaroo. Both flowers and 
stamens are clothed with velvety hairs. It 
is a delightful experience to watch honey¬ 
eating birds feeding on these plants. A 
very effective method of pollen exchange 
occurs as they plunge their beaks into the 
flowers to reach the nectar. As they brush 
past the protruding stamens they are 
dusted with pollen which they transfer to 
other flowers they visit. Honey-eaters may 
often be seen with yellow patches of pollen 
on their heads. 
There are several outstanding Anigo¬ 
zanthos hybrids. The registered cultivar 
Anigozanthos 'Dwarf Delight' resulted 
from a cross between A. onycis and A. 
flavidus and bears some of the charac¬ 
teristics of both parents. It is a compact 
plant to 0.8 m tall with much branched 
flowering stems. These are covered with 
reddish hairs as are the greenish-yellow 
flowers, giving an overall impression of 
rich red flowers and stems. The strap¬ 
shaped leaves are up to 250 mm long by 
10 mm wide. 
This delightful plant is free-flowering 
and provides a bright splash of colour in 
the garden landscape particularly if 
planted in a rockery or when used as a 
border or tub plant. It shows excellent 
qualities for use in the cut flower trade 
because of its long stems and attractively 
coloured velvety flowers. As a vase plant 
the flowers can last from two to four 
weeks. 
Problems have been experienced with 
a fungal disease known as 'ink spot' which 
affects the foliage of Anigozanthos. 
Attempts to eliminate this problem by 
hybridisation and tissue culture are giving 
positive results. 
However, Anigozanthos ‘Dwarf Delight' 
appears to be less prone to ‘ink spot’ and 
is easily propagated by division of the 
rhizomes or by tissue culture. It will grow 
in most soils in a well-drained sunny 
position but requires protection from 
snails when young. An application of a 
complete fertiliser* in autumn and spring 
will keep the plants healthy. Old leaves 
and flowering stems should be removed 
and it is advisable to lift the plants and 
divide them every two or three years. 
* See Appendix 
336 
R. HOTCHKISS 
