June Plant of the Month

June 2025

LATIN NAME: Gunnera manicata

COMMON NAME: Giant Rhubarb

FAMILY: Gunneraceae

TYPE: Herbaceous perennial

ORIGIN: Columbia, Southern Brazil

LOCATION AT BLOEDEL RESERVE: Mid-Pond

GARDEN USES: Rain Garden, Pond Edge

FUN FACT:

With stalks soaring up to 6 feet and leaves just as wide, giant rhubarb is one of the largest herbaceous perennials on Earth! Hidden beneath its colossal canopy, tiny red-green flowers often emerge on thick, club-like spikes rising from the center of the plant. The genus name Gunnera honors Johan Ernst Gunnerus, a botanist and author of Flora Norvegica. The species name manicata means “with long sleeves”, which is a nod to its dramatic, oversized foliage.

Photo credit: Sean Peterson, Jen Layne