Rhubarb

Rhubarb
Rheum rhabarbarum
(REE-um) (ra-BAR-buh-rum)

I bought a Rhubarb plant for the container garden a couple of years ago. I thought the red stems and large leaves would look good with some more upright Canna Lilies. It has been a really good performer! I didn’t know it at the time but it is very hardy and has lived right in the pot over the winter. I actually had abandoned it but each spring it is there pushing out new growth. Which incidentally is a kind of metallic brownish. I don’t let mine flower but I may this coming up year. It is starting to get a little too big for the pot. I also have never tried to harvest the red stems for food purposes but I may try, as I like strawberry rhubarb and banana rhubarb pies. Since it is in a container and I have been removing the flowers it hasn’t been able spread or seed. It is a fun and interesting plant.

I hope everyone got what they wanted for Christmas. Karen got a Nikon D80. I got an Ipod.

Synonyms: Pieplant, Da Huang, Rheum x cultorum, Rheum rhaphonticum