San Francisco Botanical Garden - Gardens

Gunnera tinctoria is located in beds 67B, 69 and 71. Other species of Gunnera are tiny by comparison: G. magellanica can be found in beds 18 and 57A; G. monoica is in bed 42.

Scientific Name	Gunnera tinctoria
Common Name	"Chilean rhubarb, Dinosaur food"
Family	Gunneraceae
Plant Type	Perennial aquatic plants
Environment	This plant has very high moisture needs and is best suited to edges of ponds, streams, or in a boggy part of the garden. Prefers filtered sunlight/semi-shaded environment. Propagate by dividing the rhizomes in the Winter/early Spring. Caution: plant has sharp spines, use care when handling.
Bloom	Brownish-bronze inflorescence with both male and female parts seen from Spring through mid-Summer
Uses	Used mostly for its large, dramatic foliage. The young leaf stalks can be peeled and cooked as a vegetable or eaten raw. A black dye is made from the roots.
More Info	A Gunnera gallery including information about fossil Gunnera Tips for growing Gunnera Wikipedia listing (includes a photo from SFBG)

Profile Contributor: Fred Bové

Gunnera tinctoria
"Chilean rhubarb, Dinosaur food"

If you've been wondering about that primeval looking plant running along the edge of the Primitive Garden that has monster-sized leaves, five feet long with teeth on their undersides, it's called Gunnera, a native of the cloud forests of Central and South America. There it grows like a weed, taking root in road cuts or any place where the soil has been disturbed. Its natural armor protects it from foraging animals.

The fact that Gunnera thrives in our botanical garden, proves how our fog and mild weather can approximate tropical conditions, making it possible to grow a variety of plants from hotter, moister areas of the world.

After being trimmed to the ground each winter by the gardeners, Gunnera grows back furiously in early spring, reaching four feet in a few months. By then, a spectacular stalk appears in the center bearing exotic male and female flowers.