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Chilean Rhubarb

Gunnera

Also called Gunneras, Giant Rhubarbs

Chilean Rhubarb
Photo: Eric Hunt, CC BY-SA 2.5

Gunnera is a genus of about 40 to 63 herbaceous perennials, with the giant rhubarbs (subgenus Panke) grown for their enormous leaves. They need moist soil, shelter from hot sun, and room to spread.

Family
Gunneraceae (Gunner family)
Light
Part shade
Water
Keep the soil constantly moist and water freely in dry spells, especially in summer.
Soil
Rich, moisture-retentive, humus-rich soil; mulch well.
Temperature
Hardy in mild climates to about -10 °C for many species; protect from hard frost and cold winds, and needs cool summers in warm regions.
How easy
Moderate
Edible
Yes, some parts

About

Gunnera is the sole genus of herbaceous flowering plants in the family Gunneraceae, which contains 63 species. Some species in this genus, namely those in the subgenus Panke, have extremely large leaves. Species in the genus are variously native to Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, Papuasia, Hawaii, insular Southeast Asia, eastern Africa, and Madagascar. The stalks of some species are edible.

Uses

The stalks of G. tinctoria (nalca), from southern Chile and Argentina, are edible. Their principal use is fresh consumption, after peeling, but also they are prepared in salads, liquor or marmalade. Leaves of this species are used in covering curanto (a traditional Chilean food).

Other Gunnera plants

Giant rhubarb · Chilean gunnera

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Gunnera by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

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