Plants Active during the day

giant rhubarb

Gunnera manicata

iNaturalist Wikipedia

A prehistoric giant that turns any backyard into a scene from the Jurassic era. Known for its massive leaves and architectural presence, this South American native is a master of nitrogen-fixation and a haven for moisture-loving wildlife.

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Quick Identification

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Size

Height up to 2.5–3 metres (8–10 feet); leaves can reach 2 metres (6.5 feet) in diameter

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Colors

Deep green leaves with prominent pale veins; reddish-brown bristly stems; cone-like reddish-green flower spikes

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Key Features

Massive umbrella-like leaves with serrated edges
Thick, fleshy stems covered in reddish prickles
Gigantic conical flower spikes (inflorescences)
Rhizomatous crown that looks like a hairy mound in winter

When You’ll See Them

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Activity pattern Active during the day

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Peak hours 10 AM - 4 PM (peak photosynthetic activity)

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Season May-September (Northern Hemisphere), November-March (Southern Hemisphere)

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Diet Photosynthetic; utilizes a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria to supplement nutrient intake.

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Habitat Boggy soil, pond margins, stream banks, and damp, sheltered garden spots.

Behavior

Giant rhubarb is a herbaceous perennial known for its prehistoric appearance and staggering growth rate. During the spring, it erupts from a dormant crown, with leaves expanding at a visible pace. It is famous for its symbiotic relationship with cyanobacteria (Nostoc punctiforme) which live within its tissues; these bacteria fix nitrogen from the air, allowing the plant to reach its massive size even in nutrient-poor soils.

While it is a stationary plant, it creates a unique micro-ecosystem. The massive leaves provide dense shade and shelter for small mammals, amphibians, and insects. In many garden settings, it behaves as a 'living sculpture,' requiring significant space and constant access to water to prevent its massive foliage from wilting under the sun.

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Camera Tips

Capturing the majesty of giant rhubarb requires a focus on time-lapse and scale. Because the plant grows so rapidly in early spring, set your camera to a 'Scheduled Capture' or 'Time-Lapse' mode. Taking one photo every 2-4 hours during the spring awakening will allow you to create a video showing the massive 'dinosaur food' leaves unfurling from their hairy crowns like something out of a prehistoric movie.

To emphasize the plant's size, place your camera at a low 'worm's eye view' looking upward through the forest of stems. This perspective highlights the prickly texture of the stalks and the sheer span of the leaves. If you use a trail camera with motion triggers, be aware that the massive leaves act like sails; on windy days, they will constantly trigger the camera. Set your PIR sensitivity to 'Low' or use a 'Time-Lapse only' setting during the day to avoid thousands of empty shots of moving foliage.

Because the plant creates a cool, damp microclimate, it is a magnet for wildlife. Position a camera near the base of the crown to catch frogs, toads, and small mammals seeking shelter in the shade. During the flowering season, aim your camera at the massive conical spikes to document the various pollinators, such as bees and flies, that frequent the tiny flowers. For the best lighting, avoid the midday sun which creates harsh shadows under the leaves; instead, focus your captures during the 'golden hours' of dawn and dusk when light filters through the green leaf tissue, making the entire plant glow.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with giant rhubarb.

Chilean Rhubarb

Smaller overall size with more rounded leaf lobes and shorter, denser, brighter reddish-orange flower spikes.

Common Rhubarb

Much smaller garden vegetable with smooth, edible red stalks and no prickles.

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Frequently Asked Questions

No, giant rhubarb is not closely related to edible rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum). It contains high levels of oxalic acid and is generally considered inedible and potentially irritating to the skin due to its prickles.

It is an incredibly fast grower. Once established, it can go from a dormant brown mound to producing 6-foot wide leaves in just a few months during the spring and early summer.

The plant naturally attracts wildlife by providing a damp, cool microclimate. To enhance this, keep the area around the base mulched and moist; you'll likely see frogs, toads, and insects using the massive leaves as umbrellas.

It prefers full sun to partial shade, but it must have permanently moist soil. In hot, direct sun, the leaves will wilt unless the roots are in a boggy environment.

Gunnera manicata (giant rhubarb) has larger leaves and reddish-green, more open flower spikes. Gunnera tinctoria (Chilean rhubarb) is smaller, has shorter, stumpier spikes, and is often much more invasive.

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