Written by Rona Wheeldon
May 22, 2016
In this month’s Product Profile, we’re taking a look at kangaroo paw, which is currently in season.
Plentiful in supply at New Covent Garden Flower Market, it's ideal to use as a filler flower in hand-tied bouquets and tall contract vase arrangements. This particular variety is called Golden Girl. Read on to discover more...
Background
From the Haemodoraceae family, the kangaroo paw’s Latin name Anigozanthos derives from the Greek word 'anises', meaning unequal and 'anthos', meaning flower, referring to the division of its flower into six unequal parts.
Native to Australia, its common name comes from the fact that its unusual flowers resemble this well-known animal’s paws. At the top of its stems, its tubular blooms have tiny hairs, giving them a velvety appearance.
Kangaroo paw is available in red, yellow and green. And it comes in a variety of stem lengths including 80cm and 1m 20cm. You'll find it in wraps of 20 stems.
It’s available all year round, with the peak season usually from April to June.
Types
Here are just some of the varieties available at the Market...
Early Spring
Golden Girl
Gold Fever
Bush Diamond
Lilac Queen
General Advice
Sometimes, the Market traders aren't given a variety name for the green type. They’re simply invoiced it as ‘Groen’, which is Dutch for green, and you'll see it labelled like this on their Dutch buckets.
When choosing kangaroo paw, check to see that one or two of the flowers per stem are open. If the flowers are too tight, they may not open.
In addition to cut flowers, plants can often be found at Nine Elms at the end of May and during the month of June.
Design Inspiration
Here are some examples of beautiful designs featuring kangaroo paw…
(Source: Simon Nickell Design)
(Source: Tony | By Appointment Only Design)
(Source: Bloomsbury Flowers)
(Source: Catherine Muller)
(Source: Vanessa Birley Florals - Detail of floral crown)
(Source: Tony | By Appointment Only Design)
Your Designs
(Source: Janelle Quitman | The Flower House)
We'd love to see photos of arrangements that you've made using kangaroo paw from New Covent Garden Flower Market. Simply send an email to info@cgma.co.uk, stating your company name and website address. Or if you prefer, you could post your photo on Twitter and copy us in, by including @MarketFlowers in your tweet. We'll then upload your photos into this section.
I hope you've enjoyed reading this month's Product Profile Report. Please do ask away below if you have any questions or would like to make any general comments. As always, we'd love to hear from you...
P.S. Did you know that kangaroo paw is The Flower Council’s Houseplant of the Month? Click here, if you’d like to take a read.
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