SPECIALIST GIANT RHUBARB CONTROL SERVICES

OUR SPECIALIST CONTROL SERVICES WILL TREAT OR ERADICATE THIS SPECIES. TO FIND OUT IF YOU HAVE GIANT RHUBARB USE OUR FREE ID TOOL OR BOOK A SURVEY

TREATMENT & REMOVAL

Giant rhubarb can be treated with herbicides, but will only be successful if treated at the right time in it’s yearly growth cycle. Treatment too early in the growing season will not be effective, but later on when the leaves are larger herbicide applied in generous amounts will take effect. Herbicide can also be applied or injected into cut stems. Excavation of the plant is a complete solution but all parts of the above and below ground plant needs to be removed. As the plant waste is deemed as special ‘controlled waste’ it will need to be taken to a suitably licensed landfill.

To find out the best way to remove Goldenrod and the best time of year to have treatment or excavation carried out get in touch.

WHY IS GIANT RHUBARB A PROBLEM?

This plant is listed as a Schedule 9 species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, therefore it is an offence to plant or allow to spread into the wild as it will quickly take over habitats. It is not illegal to plant on your own property but it is an offence to allow it to spread onto other properties.

Large stands of Giant rhubarb can be difficult to access for treatment or eradication. Their proximity to water also presents a problem and requires a license. Small fragments of plant material may be spread unintentionally on shoes and clothes, so just like other plants that proliferate via rhizome growth (Japanese knotweed being the most famous) Giant rhubarb all material must be handled and disposed of in a way which limits further spread.

ABOUT GIANT RHUBARB

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Gunnera tinctoria
ORIGIN: Chile & Argentina

Giant rhubarb (or Gunnera as it is most widely known by) is a large herbacious hardy perennial, mostly recognised by its enormous serrated leaves, unusual flower heads and clumping formation. It is, however unrelated to rhubarb, as the two plants belong to different orders, but they can look similar from a distance and both are edible, though most people would choose rhubarb over Gunnera. Giant rhubarb is an ancient plant, plant brought to the UK in 1867. The leaves are rooted in the ground with each leaf sitting on top of its stalk. In summer large panicles of red/green spiky florets appear.

• Thorny, leathery leaves that grow up to 6ft across.
• Plants can reach to 10ft tall.
• Deciduous with short, stout horizontal rhizomes.
• Each plant produces over 250,000 seeds.
• Edible stalks.

HABITAT

Thrives near water, ponds, rivers and streams.

IMPACT: MEDIUM

Once established, it can be a very invasive plant and form dense colonies, suppressing native plants. The large leaves prevent other plants growing underneath them, and when they die back in Winter it leaves large patches of bare ground that can easily erode. It can also impede water flow through the obstruction of drainage in adjacent streams and rivers particularly when water levels are high.

TOXICITY: ZERO

Giant rhubarb presents no physical danger to either humans or animals.