Better local retail nurseries will have them in season. For whatever reason, gunneras tend to be a bit on the pricey side even as small plants and larger ones can be quite an investment :-) It takes some time for them to reach significant size and produce the gigantic foliage they are known for - I hope you weren't planning on doing the casting this season! If so, you may need to "borrow" some leaves from a well-established planting.

He should be able to find both G. manicata and tinctoria.

Thanks so much for your reply gardengal48.

Yes, I probably was "foolishly" hoping for some leaves from it this year but it sounds like that's not going to happen. The only thing I can relate to myself, in my area, is the elephant ear where the bulb size determines the leaf size and that increases yearly--is this similar? The bulbs for those are, of course, more costly as the size increases.

So, how much growth would a first season gunnera have in the first year? Would the leaves not even grow to a 1 to 2 foot width? Any suggestions on how to get the most bountiful growth?

Thanks again!

It'll depend a lot on the size of the plant to begin with as to how large you can expect the foliage to be this season. A 5 gallon sized plant (in the neighborhood of $65-75 and hard to find) should be expected to produce some good sized foliage but smaller and less expensive plants are not going to offer much their first season regardless of growing conditions. These are not bulbs but dense and fleshy rooted perennials and the root mass takes time to develop and support that huge top growth. Enriched soil with a consistent supply of moisture (CANNOT be allowed to dry out) will result in the best growth. Not very fussy about sun as long as adequate water is provided. Removal of the rather insignificant flowers will encourage better foliage development.

How are these leaves going to be shipped?
I have three Gunnera plants. One is fairly well established. The leaves won't be ready until late summer. Your friend can come and get them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Gunnera

Woods Creek Nursery in Monroe had a few Gunnera manicata when I was there last week. They were just starting to put on new growth, and looked to be quite good sized plants in about 7 gal. pots

Monroe is near Duvall

Kevin

You people are great! Thanks so much for your replies.

I just got an email from him and he said he bought a potted one in Woodinville--I'm sure you're more familiar with that than I am :) --and he attached pictures lol. It appears to be a 5 gallon and has two small leaves on it now. I'm hoping he didn't pay a lot for it :&

Now he's needing "my" advice on where to plant it--blind leading the blind here. He's asking if he should amend the soil when he plants it and that he's planning to put it on the north side of the house (sun in the morning, none during the day). I'm assuming his soil is pretty decent considering the previous owners had a very well-attended to, nice English garden when he moved in :) I do know that this thing will need plenty of water considering it can be used as a bog plant and from what gardengal said. Can anyone advise on what type of sun (north side of house ok?) it will need and what to amend the soil with, if anything?

I really appreciate your help! Botann, I'm about to email you :)

I would amend the soil with pure Cedar Grove compost (not topsoil) from Home Depot. He needs to put it in the spot that he can water most often. Those massive leaves transpire a lot of water. You'll often see gunnera thriving right on the edge of a pond, hanging out over it.
- Tom

I've seen Gunnera thriving IN a pond, actually it was a lake.

You can get similar leaves easier from Acanthus mollis.

Buyorsell888 wrote:
"I've seen Gunnera thriving IN a pond, actually it was a lake."

That's good news to me; planted a gunnera in a water run-off pond. It has about 8" flowing water all fall/winter/spring, then goes dry in summer, but I water so it stays semi-moist. Last year the gunnera barely survived because they need shade and the idiot neighbors chopped down a big pine that was shading it, so the sun scorched it but it still had 2 leaves that survived. Hoping it pops back up soon and GROWS. Planted 3 bald cypress and 1 curly willow in the pond (crowded, yep, but tons of water and nutrients flowing into it) so the gunnera should have a little shade this summer.

To see really big gunneras go to Hughes Water Gardens in Tualatin. Zounds! Dinosaur plant indeed.

Not terribly hardy, protect crowns in winter. A traditional method is bending its own spent, frosted leaves back over the crowns in fall. Worst winters even inside Seattle may kill them. Low, damp places out in/toward the foothills going to be much colder frost pockets.

If soil seems needing added humus or nutrients mulch or fertilize (sample soil and have it tested first). Amending of individual planting holes or other small areas not recommended.

Bboy I'm curious why would you not recommend amending the planting hole? I would strongly recommend it with gunnera for all but the very best soils.
- Tom

Doesn't help plants to plant them in pockets of one texture surrounded by another. There is also the problem of the soil sinking as organic amendments decompose. Special beds of short-term plants like flowering annuals and annual vegetables can have the soil re-worked periodically, long-term plantings should have the soil loosened at planting and then mulched after planting instead of being amended.

Maybe you're thinking of the common advice not to amend individual holes for improved drainage because the holes usually just end up being a bowl and holding more water even if you filled it with pure sand. But in this case it's more water holding power we want, not drainage, and a good compost does that much better than your average soil.
Also keep in mind that amending is just adding & mixing, not completely replacing the soil with compost, heavy shrinkage is not really a problem.
The heavy nutrients and the improved air & water holding power in the compost help make these kind of big leaved plants skyrocket compared unamended plants. :^)
- Tom

>a good compost does that much better than your average soilYou always want to plant in suitable soil for the particular item being attempted. If a soil is markedly inappropriate digging in amendments is not likely to make it - and keep it - hospitable. This has been seen repeatedly in organized experiments, using controls (untreated plants). The controls grow better, right from the start.

I left the middle out of that last one. Anyway, for more on amending of soils and other practices...

Here is a link that might be useful: Linda Chalker-Scott

Thanks everyone for the replies. He has planted it already and it's looking pretty good! We're hoping for the best :)

Botann, I emailed you the other day. I'm not sure if it fell in your spam folder or maybe you've been busy--just wanted to let you know :) I've been drooling over your garden and I do remember seeing that croc topiary before--such a wicked sense of humor! :)

Congratulations Daisy! So how big of plant did you get?

Bboy I couldn't agree more with you that the soil should match the plant, and I can't think of many plants that need more water & more nutrients than gunnera. I read some of the articles from your link, but most had to do with excess nutrients -- not so much of a concern with a plant that can grow leaves up to 8' across (a real nutrient pig) and is being heavily watered.
The real concern for success with this plant is moisture retention, which this kind of compost does well.
The year we started using it at our last house (1 1/2 dump truck loads) it cut our summer water use almost in half. Our plants exploded like they were on a super fertilizer even though we used none. Everything was healthy and darker green than the year before.
In this house, I have 2 areas where they only put the thinest skim of of compost under the grass, instead of the 6" I wanted. Those 2 areas are always way behind the other areas in growth and are the only 2 areas I've ever had disease on the grass.
If a phd like Dr. Chalker-Scott who is high on opinion & low on facts wanted to come & tell me compost is too high in nutrients & it won't hold moisture, well I think I might have to say she needs to get off the lecture circuit & out into the garden more. ;^)

cascadians, the Gunnera at Hughes are just babies.....really :)

There are mature clumps at Shore Acres State Park down on the coast near Coos Bay and at Butchart Gardens in Victoria BC.

Hughes just planted those a couple years ago. I used to work around the corner from there and had lunch there all the time, shopping not eating. I have multiple ponds. They are the best source for pond plants in the area for sure.

Anyone interested in modern thinking can also read about them in this man's books, which are at the CUH Miller Library and similar facilities (including at least some community colleges with horticulture programs).

Here is a link that might be useful: Lacebark Inc. Horticulture Research

If your friend is still looking for a gunnera, I have seedlings in one gallon pots for free. I got a little enthusiastic and grew hundreds of them.

Jim Eichner
Woodinville
425-223-7249

If anyone is still interested in obtaining Gunnera plants or seeds, here are the results of a google.com search:

First of all, Gunnera will not be hardy in your zone - it's only hardy (perennial) in zone 7 and up.

You can get similar leaves easier from Acanthus mollis.

Plants are available from:

http://www.heronswood.com/perennials_perennials-f-to-h_gunnera/

http://www.forestfarm.com/product.php?id=2050

http://www.raintreenursery.com/catalog/producttype.cfm?producttype=Gunnera

http://stores.homestead.com/ArtisticGardenerNurse/-strse-Perennials/searchpath/71977225/start/21/total/52/Categories.bok

http://www.bigdipperfarm.com/cgi-bin/searchstuff.pl?Botanical=Gunnera

http://www.storesonlinepro.com/store/2418111/product/Gunnera%20manicata%20Dinosaur%20PlantSpiny%20Rhubarb

http://www.joycreek.com/g.htm

http://www.romencegardens.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=plants.plantDetail&plant_id=665

http://yhst-27104608415819.stores.yahoo.net/gunnera-sp.html

http://countrystoreplants.com/proddetail.php?prod=10105

Seeds are for sale at these websites:

http://www.swallowtailgardenseeds.com/perennials/dinosaur_food.html

http://www.jlhudsonseeds.net/SeedlistF-G.htm

http://www.rarexoticseeds.com/gunnera-manicata-seeds-dinosaur-food.html?___store=english