Cool plant! I haven't grown it, but there's lots of hits on it if you do a search on gardenweb. Tony from PDN is growing it in Raleigh.

Here is a link that might be useful: Gunnera

There are a few different species and I think one of the small ground cover versions might make it here - most of them (including the large leaf species) require FULL SUN and temps that NEVER GET OVER 80 DEGREES. In the wild they live in cool mountain rainforest environments where it is cool and damp all the time, all year round - not down in the valleys but up in the higher elevations. They only seem to do well outside of the wild in places with mild winters and cold wet summers like Seattle and Portland.

PDN has sold it in the past. I bought one and nurtured it for a few months. No one in this area has succeeded in keeping it alive for more than one season as far as I know - including the ones at PDN (Tony). I imagine there might be a microclimate somewhere in the foothills of the Blue Ridge where the summers stay mild. The biggest problem is the full sun - it is hard to find full sun with low temps.

I haven't even THOUGHT about trying to grow Gunnera here because of its paradoxical climatic needs, from OUR viewpoint, as you pointed out, John.

From what I understand, some folks in coastal areas of Oregon and Washington state are able to grow great big ole boogers of that plant, but like you said, HOW THE HECK are you gonna provide full sun to a plant in this climate AND keep daytime temps below 85 degrees???

The only way I can think is if you have a huge greenhouse or herbarium somewhere. Now if I could afford to build a big house with a room with a huge, clear, climate-controlled geodesic dome, I'm pretty sure I'd have some Gunnera in there, but then if horses could fly, pigs probably would too, huh?

In the meantime, we can look at pictures, huh?

Happy New Year!
Jeff

Haha, I think Tony Avent's catalog description says it all.

I've been growing Gunnera tinctoria here for over 5 years. They're growing in half sun in pure peat moss that is kept moist and cool with a continuous trickle of cold well water. The trick to growing this plant is to keep the soil temp at its root zone below 65F. They have nice, big, leaves with a sandpaper-like surface texture. I've also tried some of the smaller groundcover gunnera such as G. magellanica, but these small, running, shallow-rooted plants are more exposed to the higher soil temps at the soil's surface and don't survive the summer.

Thanks everyone for all of the feedback. 80 degrees is a cool spell here in the summer so I guess I'll pass on this one. Yes Jeff, I suppose I'll stick with the pictures.

My next experiment involves replacing my grass with Dianthus. But I am just going to jump in with both feet on this one.

Here's a photo of Gunnera tinctoria (chilensis) growing in my garden in upstate SC.
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gurley - for a somewhat similar look, you could try the 'Steroidal Giant' form of Tetrapanax papyrifera that PDN sells (they are the only source I have found for this plant in the US). Tetrapanax p. is that Rice Paper Plant that looks wonderful and tropical in this area and is cold hardy (tho itchy, so don't plant it where people will rub against it). 'Steroidal Giant' is a freaky cultivar of the same plant but with gigantinormous massively huge leaves - leaves that look more like castor bean than a rice paper plant. I have seen them get over 4 feet across. The plant is taller and more like a giant umbrella than the regular form, and it appears to be somewhat more cold tolerant.

See - there is hope.

gurley - for a somewhat similar look, you could try the 'Steroidal Giant' form of Tetrapanax papyrifera that PDN sells (they are the only source I have found for this plant in the US). Tetrapanax p. is that Rice Paper Plant that looks wonderful and tropical in this area and is cold hardy (tho itchy, so don't plant it where people will rub against it). 'Steroidal Giant' is a freaky cultivar of the same plant but with gigantinormous massively huge leaves - leaves that look more like castor bean than a rice paper plant. I have seen them get over 4 feet across. The plant is taller and more like a giant umbrella than the regular form, and it appears to be somewhat more cold tolerant.

See - there is hope.

Very cool john - I googled it and I really like it.

Now I just have to save my pennies. I had just convinced my self to stick to seeds only this year so that I don't blow all of my money on plants. But just one more wont' hurt - will it?

Bear's breeches has a similar prehistoric/tropical look. Beautiful flowers, too.

Here is a link that may be useful: Bear's breeches

i seem to recall the jcra even tried it once in the white garden right next to the little pond and it fizzled. neat that mike in SC has managed- but after the drought we had this yr, there's no way i'd waste so much water on something like that. they are beautiful, though.

grass to dianthus, huh? i don't know of many dianthus that can take much foot traffic. there's a site that sells lots of groundcovers- you may get some alternate ideas from them. stepables is the trade name, i believe. their site has a good engine to ferret out good varieties for your conditions, inc. foot traffic. best of luck & let everyone know how it goes! tammy

Just wondering what the difference between the Gunnera plant being discussed here and the plant described as Dinosaur Food with a Genus of "Petasites" on Wayside Gardens, link below.

Thanks.

Kathryn

Here is a link that might be useful: Also Dinosaur Food

I saw gunnera at Heronswood nursery near Seattle, and it is an awesome plant. Too bad it won't grow well here.

We also live on a z8b Climate but in Seattle, WA. This 11' spread Gunnera tinctoria is 5 yr out of a one gallon pot.