Actually they're not that much of a stretch here - some species anyways. I would plant it in the ground; I don't think they will be too happy either indoors or bone dry in a garage. I have had it in my garden for about 4 years and it has not been damaged from temperatures in the low 20s. If a really cold one comes along you can heap wood chips over it. It will tolerate an *occasional* complete freeze to the ground too.... if large and established.

One of my neighbors has a clump of kangaroo paws in their garden that they say has persisted for a few years now with no special attention from them. It might be worth just giving it a try like Ian suggested.

Let us know what you do and how it works out!
Take care,
Grant

Thanks. It will be an experiment this winter.

Looking at the web, this looks like one of the hardier species, so maybe it will work out OK.

This is an interesting plant. I suspect that they are not easy to grow, otherwise we would see more of them.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Sunset WESTERN GARDEN BOOK has these rated California only. I think one we planted for a client in east Seattle, in a nook on a hot terrace with a wall behind and a tall, sheltering hedge nearby only a year or two ago is gone already. Have assumed it froze out. However, it may have not liked the soil or been killed by one of the dogs. Will have to ask.

I asked about the one we planted. He thinks soil probably too heavy and climate too cold, the latter being the main factor.

Anigozanthus flavidus is one of the easiest to grow, and best to slightly abuse here in northern California, but does do best with perfect drainage and siting to keep it dry and sheltered from cold wet winds in winter. As it is native to seasonally swampy peaty soils in western Australia, it shouldn't reasonably be expected to have much frost tolerance, but it does take short periods of low 20'sF and come back from the roots. In fact, it is often burnt back to the roots to generate fresh foliage free of black ink spot disease, which is also very common on older plants here, and eventually disfigures the plant and weakens it. So losing top growth annually to frost shouldn't be an issue if the plant has strong roots.

This plant does best with good drainage, full sun, and good air circulation. It will continue to bloom into winter here if given some protection from extreme wet and winds. If you have room to bring it into a cool greenhouse or sunporch, and treat it as a container plant, you will no doubt have a larger more vigorous plant come summer. If they are available as vigorous one or five gallon plants in spring from California, this might be a more practical way of enjoying the plant. One of my personal favorites, but then they look great here at least 10 months of the year, and are not at all demanding. I highly recommend the cultivar 'Harmony' for deeper, lusher green foliage and beautiful deep orange red stems and yellow flowers on stalks to 5 or 6 feet tall.

Well my plant must be special, since it is still alive and unharmed after seeing the low 20s at least twice since I planted it. I never water it - maybe it is one of those things that needs less summer water to harden off adequately.

There used to be a bunch of them at the zoo, but I don't recall seeing them last time I was there. They might have frozen out in January 2004; I think much of Seattle got just a little colder that time than my garden did.

Since one of my goals is to have low-water-need plants, this seems like a good option for me.

Last winter I overwintered some peppers and geraniums and an epiphyllum, in an unheated sunny room, by keeping them quite dry - temp mostly 50s (maybe 40s on cold days). I think I'll do that with this plant as well.

I wouldn't keep it too dry in winter. As "bahia" says it is from moist soils in Western Australia, which has the same rainfall pattern we do - wet winters, dry summers. It also thrives on the Oregon coast with no protection. I would say a well drained but moisture retentive loam is best - not too dry just not too heavy.

So far, so good. It doesn't look as full or tall as last fall, but it's still green and blooming. It now has a new friend - they were in the garden section at Lowes today - so much for just going home with a new light fixture - and were at a booth at the Portland home and garden show. The overwintered one is the yellow one, the new purchase is "Kanga Red and Green".

I'v been watering it only when it looks like it's about to wilt, about every week. The room is about 50 degrees at night, 65 in day, and sunny. On a few occasions, it DID wilt. Since the goal is just to have a good start on this for Spring, I'm happy with the result so far.

{{gwi:1091121}}

Actually, they make good houseplants with really long lasting blooms. I sold lots of them when I was a florist.