Catspaw (Anigozanthos humilis)

When it flowers

January, not flowering
February, not flowering
March, not flowering
April, not flowering
May, not flowering
June, not flowering
July, flowering
August, flowering
September, flowering
October, flowering
November, not flowering
December, not flowering

Anigozanthos humilis. Photo: Photographs by Gnangarra...commons.wikimedia.org, CC BY 2.5 au, via Wikimedia Commons

KRT3842. Photo: Kevin Thiele from Perth, Australia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Small kangaroo paw with furry yellow, orange or red flowers in winter and spring.

A dwarf species whose short, furry flowers look like a cat's paw. Colours range from yellow to orange and red. It dies back in summer in the wild and is often short-lived in gardens, but suits pots and rockeries.

In the garden

Pots and containers
Rockery

Attracts: Birds
Flowers: Short, furry flowers in yellow, orange or red.
Leaves: Short, flat, grey-green leaves, often hairy at the edges.

Growing conditions

Climate: Dry summers (Mediterranean)
Light: Full sun
Soil: Sandy
Drainage: Needs good drainage
Frost: Light frost
Water: Some dry spells

Planting and care

Grown from: Seed

Planting

Full sun in very free-draining sandy soil, or a pot of native mix.

Pruning

Cut each flower stem at the base once it finishes. Remove old, blackened leaves in late summer.

Care

Keep it on the dry side in summer, when it rests. Prone to ink disease in humid weather.

Where it comes from

Family: Haemodoraceae
Order: Commelinales
Native to: Western Australia
Natural range: Sandy heath and woodland of south-west Western Australia.

Specialist native nurseries.

We don't have stockists listed for this plant yet. Local native nurseries are often the best place to ask.

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Catspaw Anigozanthos humilis