Kangaroo flower

The kangaroo flower grows on the sandy plains of Western Australia and is a dazzling sight with its long, elegant stems and unusual, velvety flower heads coloured bright red, green or yellow. The unusual shape of the bracts resembles a kangaroo’s paw, hence the plant’s common name. It is a prolific plant which produces a large quantity of seeds and is able to successfully colonize degraded or burnt soils. Kangaroo flower has remarkable properties which have allowed it to survive and adapt to its environment. It grows in clusters, giving it an evolutionary advantage by facilitating its reproduction and regeneration. In addition, the flower’s elongated tubular shape, the probable result of co-evolution with pollinating birds, improves pollination. These morphological adaptations – clusters and the tubular shape – have boosted the kangaroo flower’s survival and regenerative potential.