Anigozanthus flavidus

Name of plant:  Anigozanthus flavidus
Family: Haemodoraceae                       
Common names:  English: - Kangaroo Paw
Welsh: - Pawen Cangarw
Area of garden where plant is found:  The Great Glasshouse.

Description: Evergreen clump forming perennial with fans of lance shaped leaves and erect slender stems of racemes of curious 2 lipped tubular yellowish green flowers with green woolly hair that flower intermittently throughout the year under glass.

Distribution, habitat and conservation status (if known): South Western Australia.

Derivation of name: Anigo = unequal or open, zanthos = flower, flavidus = yellowish

History of plant:  Named by P. de Candolle, French botanist in 1807.

Decorative and economic uses (if any):  Good conservatory plant in full sun for structure (1.5 metres high) and texture.  Has been considered an invasive weed in South Africa.

Growing instructions: Grow under glass or keep frost free in full sun in a well drained , acid, leafy soil (use a 3:1:1: mix of leaf mould, loam and sharp sand). Can be divided in spring.

References and sources of further information: The Royal Horticultural Society, Anthony Huxley, Editor-in-Chief (1999) “The RHS Dictionary of Gardening, in Four Volumes”.  The Folio Society, London.