I Found the Rarest Blue Plant at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show – It’s Drought-Tolerant, Fire-Resistant, and Hummingbirds Love It
Meet the Australian blue kangaroo paw
At the RHS Chelsea Flower Show this week, there was one plant that instantly captured my curiosity: the blue kangaroo paw (or Anigozanthos 'Masquerade'). Perhaps the rarest plant to spot at the show this year, it intrigues with teal-blue tubular blooms.
Located on the Journey Beyond the Tracks: From Adelaide to Perth Garden, this exotic beauty sits low to the ground. It's a close cousin of the standard red kangaroo paw (which is available as starter plants on Amazon), so it's incredibly resilient, thrives in the hottest climes, and even bounces back from wildfires.
The blue kangaroo paw is a unique hybrid with teal-blue velvet blooms. It's a compact, typically reaching 20" in height. It can be grown in well-draining borders and containers alike.
What is Blue Kangaroo Paw?
The blue kangaroo paw originates from Western Australia, though it doesn't occur naturally. Rather, 'Masquerade' is a hybrid of the standard kangaroo paw and is considered the first true blue flower kangaroo paw to ever exist.
It blooms from late spring through summer, complemented by its blue-green sword-shaped foliage.
On Max Parker-Smith's RHS Chelsea garden, your eyes are drawn to its bright color amidst the arid and earth-toned growing environment. It makes for a vibrant focal point in border planting.
It's clump-forming and compact in height, typically reaching around 20" tall, just like other varieties such as the burgundy kangaroo paw (which is available on Amazon).
Blue kangaroo paw is a remarkably drought-tolerant plant and is a great pick for fire-resistant plants, thanks to its fleshy, moisture-retentive stems and the fact its rhizomes are protected underground. After wildfire damage, it can regenerate with fresh new growth quickly.
Over time, it spreads through rhizomes, though this is slow, controlled, and non-aggressive.
How to Grow Blue Kangaroo Paw
The blue kangaroo paw can be grown across USDA zones 9-11 as a hardy perennial. In cooler regions (zones 2-8), some gardeners grow it as an annual, or you can bring it inside to overwinter.
Due its bright nectar-rich tubular blooms, it's proven to be effective at attracting hummingbirds when grown in the US.
Here are some top care tips if you're thinking about adding the blue kangaroo paw (or indeed other varieties, like this pink kangaroo paw plant on Amazon) to your garden:
- Soil: This plant thrives in sandy, low-nutrient soil types, though it does require good drainage to prevent root and rhizome rot. If your garden soil is heavy and doesn't drain well, it's best to grow blue kangaroo paw in raised beds and containers. You can also mix in horticultural perlite (available at Lowe's) to improve drainage further.
- Light: To maintain that unique blue hue, full sun is essential for blue kangaroo paw. It needs 6-8 hours of direct sun daily to produce stronger stems and to flower more prolifically. In lower light, the blooms and foliage may become paler.
- Water: During its first growing season, you should water this plant regularly to help it establish. It then becomes quite drought-tolerant, so you can allow it to dry out between watering. This is especially important to stop root and crown rot, though you should water deeply weekly during hot spells in summer.
- Fertilizing: Blue kangaroo paw is a light feeder, so an all-purpose feed can be damaging. Instead, you should look for a fertilizer low in phosphorus which is suited to Australian plants, supporting healthy growth without being overpowering. This sulfate of potash feed from Amazon is a good option. You should apply it in early spring, just as the growing season begins.
- Deadheading: You can deadhead blue kangaroo paw as blooms fade to encourage another flush of flowers. When doing this, use sharp pruning tools (like these gardening snips from Lowe's) to cut at the base of the flower stems.
- Overwintering: If you live in cooler zones, it is possible to grow blue kangaroo paw as an annual or you can bring it indoors to protect it from frost during winter. Maintain bright light wherever you move it too. A conservatory and a greenhouse are excellent locations for this.
Growing the likes of blue kangaroo paw is one of the best ways to boost garden resilience in extreme weather. You can also incorporate methods to reduce water run-off in the yard, including using a French drain.
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