Gunnera manicata basics / Giant Rhubarb / Chilean Rhubarb / Giant Ornamental Rhubarb

This large plant, Native to Chile and Western Argentina, is not actually related whatsoever to the Rhubarb we are familiar with in North American cooking. (Rheum rhabarbarum). It can reach an impressive height of around 10 feet or a little bit over 2 meters. Each leaf exhibits up to 9 distinctly pronounced ruffled lobes. The irregular cone-shaped flower structures bare little orange to lime green fruits, which each contain many thousand sand grain sized seeds. In Chile, the stems are eaten cooked, and are known as Nalca. Many of the modern cultivars used in the North American landscape, are much more toxic, and shouldn't be eaten unless reduced in a boiler or highly steamed. The leaves are used in the Chilean dish called Curanto, which is much like a fried medley with a stew. I do not recommend handling this plant, especially the leaves, without some sort of hand protection such as gloves. I also do not recommend eating it raw, and especially not the leaves as they are the most toxic. Have a good day you guys, thank you :))