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In Bloom

Gunnera tinctoria is located in beds 67A, 67B, and 68A.

Location 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

If you've been wondering about that primeval looking plant running along the edge of the Ancient 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 the 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.

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Magnolia campbellii January	Magnolia denudata February	Magnolia x veitchii March
Iris douglasiana April

Acer palmatum 'Sango kaku' January	Magnolia campbellii 'Darjeeling' February	Bomarea spp. March
Rhododendron occidentale April	Polystichum munitum May	x Chiranthofremontia lenzii June
Salvia leucantha July	Hydrangea seemannii August	Wollemia nobilis September
Cyathea cooperi October	Pinus radiata November	Correa spp. December

Garrya elliptica January	Magnolia x soulangeana February	Senecio glastifolius March
Ribes spp. April	Oxalis oregana May	Calandrinia grandiflora June
Taxus baccata July	Romneya coulteri August	Passiflora parritae September
Malvaviscus arboreus October	Monterey Cypress November	Aloe arborescens December

Aloe plicatilis January	Banksia seminuda February	Zantedeschia aethiopica March
Magnolia laevifolia April	Araucaria heterophylla May	Toxicodendron diversilobum June
Clarkia sp. July	Agapanthus August	Brugmansia September
Cedrus spp. October	Protea repens November	Camellia sinensis December

Thujopsis dolabrata January	Gordonia longicarpa February	Rojasianthe superba March
Echium spp. April	Iris douglasiana May	Digitalis purpurea June
Felicia amelloides July	Ceroxylon quindiuense August	Amaryllis belladonna September
Ginkgo biloba October	Acer morrisonense November	Ilex aquifolium December

Picea sitchensis January	Telanthophora grandifolia February	Aeonium arboreum 'Schwartzkopf' March
Leptospermum April	Salvia gesneraeflora May	Lavandula spp. June
Pelargonium July	Fuchsia paniculata August	Luma apiculata September
Luculia October	Arbutus unedo November	Cycad December

Restionaceae January	Hellebores February	Ceanothus March
Rhododendron April	Psoralea pinnata May	Fremontodendron californicum June
Leucadendron argenteum July	Crocosmia August	Gunnera tinctoria September
Pellaea rotundifolia October	Fuchsia boliviana November	Erica canaliculata December

Magnolia campbelli January	Magnolia denudata February	Camellia March
Geranium maderense April	Acmena smithii May	Eschscholzia californica June
Dendromecon harfordii July	Romneya coulteri August	Eupatorium purpureum September
Epilobium canum sp. October	Grevillea spp. November	Drimys winteri December