Canada Red Rhubarb

Other Names: Canadian Red Rhubarb

Description:

Long thick dark red leaf stems have a sweet and juicy flavor with very tender skin and flesh texture without a stringyness like most other rhubarb; harvest throughout summer; only stems are edible, other plant parts are poisonous

Ornamental Features:

Canada Red Rhubarb features bold spikes of white flowers rising above the foliage from early to mid summer. It's enormous crinkled round leaves remain green in colour throughout the season. The fruit is not ornamentally significant, although it is excellent for cooking and baking and making jams and jellies. The cherry red stems are very effective and add winter interest.

Landscape Attributes:

Canada Red Rhubarb is an herbaceous perennial with a rigidly upright and towering form. Its wonderfully bold, coarse texture can be very effective in a balanced garden composition.

This perennial will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and can be pruned at anytime. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Canada Red Rhubarb is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• General Garden Use
• Vertical Accent
• Mass Planting
• Orchard/Edible Landscaping

Plant Characteristics:

Canada Red Rhubarb will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity extending to 4 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 3 feet. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years.

This perennial does best in full sun to partial shade. It is quite adaptable, prefering to grow in average to wet conditions, and will even tolerate some standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This plant can be propagated by division.

This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.