Velvety red
Fine coloured hairs cover the surfaces of the tubular flowers, creating their characteristic soft appearance.
Anigozanthos 'Red' 3lt — Care & Tips
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Put it in the sun and you will see why everyone wants it ❤️
Family: Haemodoraceae · Pot volume: 3 litres · Height: 60–70cm
Anigozanthos ‘Red’ gives red an unexpected texture: its flowers resemble little velvet paws raised above the green. Slender stems branch high up, leaving room for light between them, while long leaves spread below in clean curves. The result recalls a lively sketch made with a few confident lines: exotic yet airy, catching the eye with colour and holding it with the unusual beauty of the flowers.
Against pale stone or a quiet grey background, the red branches take on an almost sculptural clarity. Among fine grasses, the effect becomes freer, as though the little flower paws were floating above a green wave. Even a few cut stems are enough to bring that unusual outline into a simple vase.
The red flower hairs and the clear distinction between a low leafy base and taller flowering stems define its character.
Fine coloured hairs cover the surfaces of the tubular flowers, creating their characteristic soft appearance.
Narrow flower tubes open into small lobes at their tips, explaining the name kangaroo paw.
Flowering stems rise from low fans of long leaves without forming a dense woody shrub.
Why you will love it: combines strong red colour, velvety detail and an open floral outline that stands out in both the garden and the vase.
Choose a sunny position where the flower stems remain visible above lower foliage. In areas with frost, use a pot that can be moved into a bright, protected space for winter. Keep the crown open and neighbouring plants far enough away to avoid covering it.
Silver surfaces and blue-green leaves balance the intensity of the red. Use neighbouring pots when companion plants prefer drier soil, so each plant can receive the watering it needs.
Plenty of sun and good air circulation. Prolonged shade reduces flowering potential.
Water as the surface begins to dry, especially during new growth and bud formation. Excess water must drain away freely.
Warm, bright growing conditions. In areas with frost, overwinter in a bright frost-free space and reduce winter watering.
An ornamental plant, not for consumption. Prevent children and pets from chewing leaves or flowers.
Choose an open, sunny position. If moving it from a protected space into the garden, introduce it gradually to strong outdoor sunshine.
During fresh growth and bud formation, do not leave the soil dry for long periods. Water the soil and let excess moisture escape through the pot’s drainage holes.
Use a loose, freely draining mix and a pot with clear drainage holes. Heavy, constantly wet soil and standing water in the saucer place the crown and roots under stress.
Feed lightly during active growth at the rate on the product label. Avoid frequent strong feeds in an attempt to speed up flowering.
Cut finished flower stems close to the base and remove dead leaves. Preserve the healthy green fans from which growth continues.
Move the pot into a bright, frost-free space before freezing conditions arrive. Water less often, checking the soil, and avoid leaving the crown wet while growth slows.
Large black leaf blotches need attention, particularly in cool, damp conditions. Remove badly affected leaves, improve air circulation and also inspect fresh growth for snails.
Cut a flowering stem low down with a clean tool without damaging neighbouring leaves. Place it in clean water and refresh the water regularly, away from strong heat.
New narrow leaves develop in fans close to the ground and renew the leafy base.
Flowering stems lengthen and branch above the leaves. The main flowering season of cultivated Anigozanthos is associated with spring and summer, with differences between selections and climates.
Old flower stems are removed once finished. The leafy base remains the starting point for the next growth cycle, which slows during cooler periods.
Long leaves emerge in low fans and slender flower stems rise between them. Small branches carry red tubular flowers with a velvety surface. The illustration describes the natural structure without a numerical scale.
The second display adds flowering stems to the same basic leafy structure. These seasonal stems rise above the crown and are replaced in later growth cycles.
What to expect after planting: The visible height changes considerably as flower stems appear or are removed. The clump develops from the base, and flowering duration depends on light, temperature and season.
The story of Anigozanthos begins in the south-west of Western Australia, the genus’s natural home. Near Esperance, the French botanist Jacques-Julien Houtou de Labillardière collected a red-flowered representative in 1792. In 1800 he described the genus based on Anigozanthos rufus, giving a scientific name to a flower form that would later travel far beyond Australia.
Cultivation and deliberate crossing subsequently produced many selections with different colours and flower-stem heights. Anigozanthos ‘Red’ brings this garden tradition into a vivid red display. Its appeal retains the contrast that makes kangaroo paws so distinctive: restrained green fans below and extraordinary velvety flowers above. From the Australian landscape to a terrace or cut-flower arrangement, that unusual floral outline remains the thread connecting its story.
In Anigozanthos, the overall flower colour is strongly influenced by fine coloured hairs covering its outer surface. The velvety appearance therefore comes from a real covering of hairs around the flower tube.
In native Australian populations, birds visit the flowers for nectar. The flower tube and the position of the anthers bring pollen into contact with their heads, allowing it to travel with them to another flower.
Six practical answers about light, flowering and overwintering.
Growth and flowering benefit from a bright, sunny outdoor position when temperatures are suitable. A bright frost-free space is useful for winter protection, rather than a dark corner of the home.
Cut the old flowering stem low down with a clean tool. Keep the healthy green fans at its base intact.
Good drainage does not mean keeping it dry. In pots, during new growth and while buds form, it needs regular checks and watering as the soil begins to dry.
Protect it before frost arrives. Move the pot into a bright frost-free space and reduce watering while growth slows.
Extensive black blotches may be associated with fungal disease, especially in cool, damp conditions. Remove badly affected leaves and check air circulation and drainage; seek a diagnosis if the problem continues.
Yes. Cut selected flowering stems low down and place them in clean water. A simple vase particularly suits their open branching and velvety texture.