Plant with Gigantic Leafs

Discussion in 'Plants: Identification' started by Yo_Jo, Jun 27, 2020.

  1. Yo_Jo

    Yo_Jo Active Member

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    I was walking around Stanley Park today and at Lost Lagoon I spotted this interesting plant with what I thought were gigantic leaves. I was thinking - is that giant skunk weed but there was not stench. After Googling it - it kinda looks like a Gunnera Manicata.

    80CD4285-821C-4E56-B695-C8FA0428BD30.jpeg 2F7D4B2A-779D-46BB-B27F-B83B45BBFECB.jpeg 71E8866B-C1EB-463C-808D-FE8440A95ED1.jpeg D8E5F8D6-4464-47B5-87B8-7489305E497A.jpeg
     
  2. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Gunnera manicata. It eats bad little boys, according to David Tarrant, who used to be Education Co-ordinator at UBCBG.
     
    Last edited: Jun 27, 2020
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  3. Yo_Jo

    Yo_Jo Active Member

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    Thanks Wendy for the confirmation.

    I thought that plant looked pretty cool at the edge of Lost Lagoon. There was also another section a little further down after the walking bridge but the leaves seem smaller.

    I am thinking of finding some Gunnera seeds and planting it on my lawn to cover up the dandelion.
     
  4. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    This is really at the pond at Devonian Harbour Park, next to Georgia Street, right? I had a look at those last week, because the leaves looked smaller. I couldn't find any flower stalks - maybe you can - but I still thought they were G. manicata, leaves a little smoother than another species that is sometimes grown here. All the Stanley Park ones I've seen are G. manicata.
     
  5. Silver surfer

    Silver surfer Generous Contributor 10 Years

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    Smaller one maybe the other common one Gunnera tinctoria...see below

    Both love wet boggy ground.




    GUNNERA  TINCTORIA 22-08-2011 17-19-10.JPG GUNNERA  TINCTORIA 23-05-2009 15-51-22.JPG GUNNERA  TINCTORIA 24-05-2007 11-37-51.JPG GUNNERA  TINCTORIA 25-03-2009 15-27-51.JPG GUNNERA  TINCTORIA 25-03-2009 15-28-25.JPG
     
  6. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    @Yo_Jo, I went by this group in Devonian Harbour Park a few days ago, and found some inflorescences. This is definitely Gunnera manicata.
    Gunnera-manicata_DevonianHarbourPark_Cutlr_20200710_170222.jpg Gunnera-manicata_DevonianHarbourPark_Cutlr_20200710_170306.jpg Gunnera-manicata_DevonianHarbourPark_Cutlr_20200710_170329.jpg

    I think it looks so low and compact because it's on the edge of the pond, so the stems are growing from below lawn level, and the growing conditions are different from those in the Greig Rhododendron Garden. I got three people to pose with two clumps in the rhody garden today.
    Gunnera-manicata_StanleyParkRhodyGarden_Cutler_20200713_143632.jpg Gunnera-manicata_StanleyParkRhodyGarden_Cutler_20200713_144606.jpg Gunnera-manicata_StanleyParkRhodyGarden_Cutler_20200713_144644.jpg
     
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  7. Yo_Jo

    Yo_Jo Active Member

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    Wendy,

    I was out at the PNE grounds the other day to look at my soon to be new dream home and spotted some plants with big leaves near the Renfrew side adjacent to the skate park.

    Do you think these are Gunnera Tinctoria?

    2F55FB78-B86E-44EC-93C4-486BD4A8A060.jpeg 334FCBFD-275A-4C28-96D5-97F3DC073569.jpeg
     
  8. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Yes, those infructensces that are narrow and dense like that are the key identifying feature.
    Thanks for posting those.
     
  9. Yo_Jo

    Yo_Jo Active Member

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    Wendy, if I asked for a cone from G. Tinctoria - can I grow a new plant from it before winter sets in?
     
  10. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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  11. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    These Gunnera manicata in posting #6 look so great in mid-summer when the leaves form a beautiful dome. But in the fall, many of the leaves have wilted, exposing the infructescences, which makes for interesting viewing. @Yo_Jo, you can see the difference in the fruit stalks of the two species.
    Gunnera-manicata_StanleyPark-RhodyGardenPath_Cutler_20200911_145854.jpg
     
  12. Silver surfer

    Silver surfer Generous Contributor 10 Years

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    Just for interest....
    In UK where cold weather can kill them, the leaves are cut off and formed into a wigwam to protect the crown.

    GUNNERA  MANICATA  WRAPPED FOR  WINTER 03-Nov-17 3-18-39 PM.JPG GUNNERA  MANICATA  WRAPPED FOR  WINTER 03-Nov-17 3-19-26 PM.JPG GUNNERA  MANICATA 04-09-2014 12-26-27.JPG
     
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  13. Yo_Jo

    Yo_Jo Active Member

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    Thanks Wendy and Silver Surfer for the cool pics. I didn’t find any places selling Gunnera’s this year in the Vancouver area - original I was going to plant one in my front yard but now I think we might redo our broken morning glory/weed/moss covered sloped lawn with a terraced vegetable and flower garden next year.
     

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