The Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority has released a new hybrid kangaroo paw plant Anigozanthos, which boasts Australia’s national colours of green and gold.
According to the Authority, the new flower, aptly named Aussie Spirit, emerged from Kings Park’s leading plant development program and shares the colours with the nation’s sporting champions.
It said with many of the plant’s flowers reaching sizes of up to 40 centimetres, the hybrid would be a colourful choice for backyard gardens as a compliment to other native species, for border planting, or as a container plant.
Executive Director of the Authority, Alan Barrett said the Kings Park plant development program aimed to encourage greater urban planting of native species.
“By choosing to plant natives like this kangaroo paw, you can create a low maintenance and low water garden that provides habitat for native birds and insects,” Mr Barrett said.
“It’s the true Aussie spirit — protecting our local environment,” he said.
Senior Plant Breeder at Kings Park, Digby Growns said Aussie Spirit was an open pollinated hybrid developed from the Kings Park Royale kangaroo paw and would be best suited to well-drained soil and full sun.
“As well as sporting Australian colours, the green and gold hybrid is bred to be disease tolerant to the common kangaroo paw diseases of ink-spot and rust,” Mr Growns said.
“Here at Kings Park, we breed native flora to be more tolerant of disease, hardy for the Western Australian climate and to look beautiful for planting in parks, bushland and backyard gardens,” he said.
