r/australianplants • u/Intazinga • 3d ago

Are my Kangaroo paws dead??

Planted these mid year, and they were full of colour and loving life. The began to have their flowers die off early in the beginning of summer, so I cut them back like I was told and have left them be since....I water them a few times a week, mainly if it's been hot.

Are they too far gone and dead? Or will they somehow spring back to life later in the year??

(Perth, Western Australia)

6 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

u/dirty__cum_guzzler 3d ago

Let me guess, got them from Bunnings? Their roo paws are notorious for this.

4

u/daidrian 2d ago

I think some of the newer varieties that have been bred to flower really prolifically actually end up putting too much energy into flowering and can't sustain it. Not really sure if it's true but it's what I've observed.

4

u/dirty__cum_guzzler 2d ago

Interesting. I was talking to a nursery owner and he said the same thing! This was a citrus tree nursery in Perth.

3

u/unnecessaryaussie83 2d ago

The same with the phalaenopsis orchid. Bred to flower themselves to death

1

u/napalmnacey 2d ago

Really? My husband was worried our garden was cursed. 😂 Even though the other plants are fine. What about their pelargoniums?

2

u/dirty__cum_guzzler 2d ago

I've found them ok. Same with marigolds. I was gifted one of those 6 packs of marigolds by a sub of mine and they are doing ok. I would never buy them tho as marigolds are dead easy to propogate from seed.

1

u/Intazinga 1d ago

Yes from bunnings! Good to know thank you

-1

u/AgressiveViola0264 2d ago

people who buy plants from Bunnings are notorious for doing this 😂😂

5

u/dirty__cum_guzzler 2d ago

Yeah agree, but some people don't know any better. The return plant if it dies is a nice fallback for beginner gardeners on a budget.

Convenience for inner city folk too who can't get a nursery which are usually further out.

Just happy they are giving it a go and getting into gardening at the end of the day.

u/ARealJezzing 3d ago

As a dodo

2

u/sailpast 3d ago

Kangarooted!

u/sharpchisel 3d ago

You should only be cutting back the flower stalks when they’re this newly planted. I recommend cutting back 2/3 of the foliage after 2-3 years of growing on a healthy, vigorous Roo Paw in early autumn.

5

u/jamesdoesnotpost 3d ago

Definitely cut back. Also they’re much better in the ground than a pot. Those pots look like they’re just baking in the sun. Not many plants can survive having their roots baked

u/fatmarfia 3d ago

I bet they are Bush gems celebrations. They dont last, but you can retune to bunnings

u/Competitive_Ad_7415 3d ago

Dry as a dead dingoes donga

u/xshep7 3d ago

They are gone, but if it’s any consolation I really struggle keeping kangaroo paws alive at all. I’ve cut mine back since their flowers have finished and am just hoping that their wilting foliage isn’t a portent of death 😂

I’ve replanted mine in a pot not dissimilar from the first pic and it’s the longest I’ve been able to keep them alive. You might just have to try again!

u/mathiar86 1d ago

I had a similar issue and posted in this sub a while back. None of my bush gem variety from Bunnings took off I bought a landscape variety from a nursery and so far they seem to be very happy. Planted in the exact same spot as the bush gems. Been two weeks and the foliage is still standing upright whereas at this point the bush gems had started to yellow and die back. I transplanted one into a pot and it seems to be clinging to life. Just.

1

u/Intazinga 1d ago

Okay good to know, seems the pot isn't the way to go for these guys