The common name of gunnera manicata, giant rhubarb, refers to the appearance of its leaves, though the plant is not related to the actual rhubarbs, which are from the rheum genus, in the polygonaceae family.
Common name:
Giant rhubarb
Family:
Scientific name:
Gunnera manicata
Main flower color:
Range:
Small, localized sites across the British Isles, most common in the southwest. An introduced species, from Brazil
Height:
Up to 2.5 m
Habitat:
Damp, often shady places, in woodland and along streams
Flowers:
Tiny, red to green, in branched, elongated spikes up to 1 m tall
Leaves:
Round in outline, up to 2 m across, somewhat cupped, hairless, with jagged margins and spines across the lower surface. On thick, spiny petioles
Season:
June to August
Rarity:
★★★★★
