Rhubarb
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For other uses, see Rhubarb (disambiguation).
Rhubarb

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Core eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Polygonaceae
Genus: Rheum
Species: R. rhabarbarum
Binomial name
Rheum rhabarbarum
L.
Rhubarb is a group of plants that belong to the genus Rheum in the family Polygonaceae. They are herbaceous perennial plants growing from short, thick rhizomes. They have large leaves that are somewhat triangular, with long fleshy petioles. They have small flowers grouped in large compound leafy greenish-white to rose-red inflorescences.

In culinary use, fresh raw stalks are crisp (similar to celery) with a strong, tart taste. Most commonly, the plant's stalks are cooked with sugar and used in pies and other desserts. A number of varieties have been domesticated for human consumption, most of which are recognised as Rheum x hybridum by the Royal Horticultural Society.
Rhubarb is usually considered to be a vegetable; however, in the United States, a New York court decided in 1947 that since it was used in the United States as a fruit, it was to be counted as a fruit for the purposes of regulations and duties. A side effect was a reduction on imported rhubarb tariffs, as tariffs were higher for vegetables than fruits.[1]
Rhubarb, raw
(Rheum rhabarbarum)
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 88 kJ (21 kcal)
Carbohydrates 4.54 g
- Sugars 1.1 g
- Dietary fibre 1.8 g
Fat 0.2 g
Protein 0.9 g
Water 93.61 g
Folate (vit. B9) 7 μg (2%)
Vitamin C 8 mg (10%)
Vitamin E 0.27 mg (2%)
Vitamin K 29.3 μg (28%)
Calcium 86 mg (9%)
Iron 0.22 mg (2%)
Potassium 288 mg (6%)
Sodium 4 mg (0%)
Zinc 0.1 mg (1%)
Percentages are relative to
US recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient Database
Rhubarb is now grown in many areas and, thanks to greenhouse production, is available throughout much of the year. Rhubarb grown in hothouses (heated greenhouses) is called hothouse rhubarb, and is typically made available at consumer markets in early spring, before outdoor cultivated rhubarb is available. Hothouse rhubarb is usually brighter red, more tender and sweeter-tasting than outdoor rhubarb.[2] In temperate climates, rhubarb is one of the first food plants to be ready for harvest, usually in mid- to late spring (April/May in the Northern Hemisphere, October/November in the Southern Hemisphere, and the season for field-grown plants lasts until September. In the northwestern US states of Oregon and Washington, typically two harvests are from late April to May and from late June into July. Rhubarb is ready to be consumed as soon as it is harvested, and freshly cut stalks will be firm and glossy.