Kangaroo paw
Anigozanthos flavidus
Also called Anigozanthos and Tall kangaroo paw
Houseplant · FloweringIt comes from soil with almost no phosphorus, so ordinary houseplant feed scorches the roots — use a low-phosphorus or native-plant feed, or none at all. Never let it stand in a saucer; that is what kills the rest.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Hard
- Water
- Every 9 daysSoak, then bone-dry — wait until the soil is dry right through — lift the pot, it tells you.
- Light
- As much direct sun as you can give it
- Feed
- Every 45 days
- Humidity
- Low
- Hardiness
- Tender — no frost at all RHS H2, to 1°C
- Size
- 1.2 m tall · 0.6 m across
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Origin
- South-western Australia
Is it safe for pets and people?
No animal-poison authority lists this plant either way.
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Neither authority names Anigozanthos. That is an absence and not a clean bill.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-09-22. Where a source says nothing, we say nothing.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- Leaf tips blackening and dying back within weeks of being fed, on a plant that was doing well. It evolved on soil with almost no phosphorus and ordinary houseplant feed scorches the roots — use a native-plant or low-phosphorus feed, or none.Phosphorus burn · disorder
- Black blotches spreading along the flat leaves from the tips down, worst in a wet cold spell. Cut affected leaves out at the base; it is worse on plants kept too wet.Ink disease · disease