Gunnera manicata

GIANT BRAZIL RHUBARB

Gunnera manicata
GIANT BRAZIL RHUBARB

Gunnera manicata took the gardening world by storm when it first appeared from South America. And it is so impressive it has never lost favour with those who have a dam, or a boggy spot to give it the damp it loves.
So it is a spectacular and long term favourite foliage plant for damp spots.

Huge umbrellas of leaves up to 1.5m across make it an architectural favourite for garden designers.

Gunnera manicata forms an awe inspiring perennial clump.
It is winter dormant, but the beauty of it unfurling in spring, and then finally creating those huge umbrellas of leaves, is all part of the joy of owning a Gunnera.

Gunnera manicata is frost and cold hardy, but if you want to protect the crown over winter and get off to a flying unfurling start – just bend some old leaves over the crown in autumn.
But it is also perfectly at home in sub-tropical areas and humid summers.

It loves wet shade. So a shady dam bank, or boggy hollow is perfect.
Hugely decorative, but an acquired taste as a vegetable.
The stems are sold as a vegetable in Chilean street markets, and when they are peeled and boiled they are a local delicacy.

2.5m High x 3m Wide.

SOWING ADVICE: QUICK & EASY

Sow any time indoors in pots.
Wear soft gloves to handle seed to prevent damaging the seed.

Sow on surface of good quality seed raising mix. Press gently into surface. Barely cover if at all. Light needed for germination.

Keep well moistened.
20-25°C approx. is best for rapid germination.

Seedlings emerge in approx. 15-30 days.

SEED COUNT: 40 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count and give a generous serve).