This is a public-interest archive. Personal data is pseudonymized and retained under GDPR Article 89.

Re: [PRIMROSES] Gunnera + Hi + msc. was: Companion plants

Marge Talt wrote:

> To the point:
>
> Diana, I have long been lusting for Gunnera manicata, but have put off
> getting it because I was worried about its  being hardy in my cool part of
> USDA z 7 *and* I have no really nice pondside conditions for it.  So I
> reading that you consider it hardy to z.7 has me all excited.  I understand
> from my reading it wants its crowns on dry land and roots where they can
> get lots of water.  Is this correct?  Will they grow in average moist clay
> based garden borders with supplemental watering???
Yes, it is correct.  It does very well in a container sitting in
approximatley 2-4" of water.  I have taken divisions, and have potted
them up and left them outside.  They are rooting in gradually, and if I
suspect a frost is coming I place a 2 gallon nursery container over the
crown.  I'm not at all concerned about them.  I've kept one display
plant that will go into a 5 gallon container next spring.
The one in my yard is on a berm piled over the footing of a retaining
wall.  It is in full shade and is not regularly watered, tho that corner
stays soggy wet throughout the early summer.  The moisture, I am sure,
simply wicks up into the primrose bed.  The soil is sand and peat, into
which I dig my lawn clippings as the lawn gets mowed.  Clay soil would
need humus added into it.  Gunnera simply LUV humus. The watering is not
really an issue if it is joined by other moisture requiring shade
plants.  If you can grow hosta and dicentra, you can grow a gunnera.
> I gather you're growing yours in containers for sale.  Do you also grow it
> in the ground?  If so, do you have it in waterside conditions?  Plus, what
> do you use to cover the crowns for winter?  I have read in Beth Chatto's
> books that she folds the spent leaves over them, but, knowing her gardens
> are in a warmer climate than mine, I have wondered if this is enough.  Any
> words of wisdom?  I also wonder whether, in my climate -- which turns into
> a damp, sticky furnace in summer-- they would do well in medium shade?
> Most of what I've read has them in sun and the only places I've actually
> seen them were at Kew and Beth Chatto's garden and in both they were in sun
> at the edge of a pond.  Also, do you know if they are on bambi's preferred
> munch list?
I don't mulch mine in my yard, but it is against a north facing
retaining wall.  It gets marginal protection there.  No waterside yet,
tho when I build a house at the nursery, there will certainly be a water
garden.
I think they would do splendidly in a warm region as they are native to
Maylaysia, Tasmania, NZ, and some of the tropical areas of Mexico and S.
Africa.
I don't think deer would be a problem, as I recently had the little
critters in for dinner, and they devoured the oenothera 'Siskyou Pink',
but didn't touch the tender, new growth of the gunneras, which were
within 10 feet.
They can take sun to semi-shade, tho mine is in total, dense shade and
does well.
For your zone 7, to be safe, I would mulch with crown with straw, plant
an evergreen fern next to the gunnera to mask it during the winter, and
place an inverted clay pot over the crown to hold the straw in place.
The roots stay damp and the crown stays toasty.  The crowns, by the way,
look like something alien.  Large, fuzzy appearance, pink edged.  Like
an egg from a science fiction movie.
Keep in mind that you can plant some medium height perennials very near
the base, as it gets so tall.  You may have to clip off an imposing
leaf, but the effect could be impressive.

The Greenhouse
81 S. Bagley Creek Road & Hwy 101
Port Angeles, WA  98362
> Does anyone on the list grow this plant in z. 7?
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index