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Gunnera prorepens
A number of visitors to our garden
are quite surprised to learn
that this happy little coloniser is indeed a Gunnera,
especially since
most of the publicity accorded to the genus involves
the 'biggies', G. manicata and G.tinctoria. But of course
there are a
significant number of 'mini-Gunneras' as well. I grow three
of these smaller species; G. prorepens and G. hamiltonii,
both from the
sub-alpine zones of New Zealand, and also G. magellanica
which is found growing in similar conditions in Chile.
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But my favourite
species (illustrated here) is Gunnera prorepens and,
for me, it's the bright crimson fruiting spikes which
give this species
the edge.
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Gunnera
prorepens |
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| The other two species, although attractive in
leaf, have never flowered that successfully, but from
mid-September until
Christmas the 4 cm. long upright 'candles' of G. prorepens
never fail to catch the eye, even on the dullest day.
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flowers are
monoecious and very inconspicuous so that its really only
the eventual presence of the fruiting bodies which
indicate that flowering
had indeed taken place.
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| It is extremely obliging as
groundcover plant and particularly as a coloniser of damp
banks, but don't be alarmed, it is not that difficult to
control! Apparently
it does not do that
well in the relatively drier parts of the U.K., but it
loves the 'soft' Irish climate as do a number of other
New Zealand
species.
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| ref. Daniel J. Hinckley 1999 The
Explorers Garden Timber Press
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