What Kind of Weather Does a Kangaroo Paw Plant Like?

Australian Varieties

• Native to Southwest Australia, the kangaroo paw plant thrives in dry, temperate climates during the region's summer months. When winter arrives, wild kangaroo paws wilt closely to the ground and remain dormant until the spring. Some Australian gardeners intentionally cut kangaroo paws to less than 4 inches from the ground. This cutting method prevents disease or pests from infiltrating the plant. The Bush Ranger and Dwarf Delight cultivars are drought tolerant and cold hardy, meaning they survive through cold temperatures. Tall Kangaroo Paw does not handle heavy frost as well as other kangaroo paw Australian cultivars.

U.S. Cultivars

• In the 2000s, kangaroo paw cultivars were introduced to gardeners in the United States. Kangaroo paw sellers in the U.S. aimed to market the cultivars in temperate locations such as Southern California and Florida; these locations have weather similar to Southwest Australia. According to Purdue University's Department of Horticulture, the kangaroo paw cultivar did not sell well initially due to high shipping costs. However, gardeners in Florida's humid, subtropical climate plant and sell kangaroo paws as Christmas ornamentals, due to the flower's red and green coloration.

Cyanide Growth

• Not only do kangaroo paw plants tolerate dry weather, but they also benefit from the spread of cyanide, which is poisonous for other living organisms to consume. Southwest Australia's dry heat subjects the area to constant brush fires, which destroy much of the area's plantlife. However, the spread of cyanide reenergizes the germination of dormant, underground seeds of local plants, including kangaroo paw. However, kangaroo paw plants benefit from natural cyanide that emits from burnt plants after rain, not man-made manufactured cyanide.

Pests

• Kangaroo paws rarely suffer from pests in the wild since Southwest Australia's hot temperatures burn these plants on an annual basis. The frequent fires prevent pests from infiltrating the plant on a long-term basis. However, cultivated kangaroo paws are susceptible to pests due to overwatering or overuse of fertilizers. Common pests for kangaroo paws are slugs, snails and caterpillars. These pests chew on the plant's leaves, but burning the plants in the fall removes the pests. Burnt plants regenerate in the spring. Insecticides handle other insect pests such as aphids and leaf miners.