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Photograph of Rhubarb
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Rhubarb

Rheum rhabarbarum

  • Layer 4 · Herbaceous
  • Edible companion

Status by region

No restrictions recorded in the lists we checked.

Checked against the European Union list (Regulation 1143/2014) · Portugal's national invasive species list (Decreto-Lei 92/2019).

Information based on the cited sources, not legal advice — always confirm your local rules.

About

Native to Asia, rhubarb is a robust herbaceous perennial prized for its edible, sour-tasting petioles. The leaves are toxic and must be excluded from human consumption. It occupies the herbaceous layer of the food forest in areas with partial shade and good moisture.

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Needs

  • Water: Medium
  • Light: Partial shade
  • Size: Herbaceous plant up to 1 m
  • Mature diameter: 1 m
  • Soils: Loam, Clay
  • Climates: Atlantic coast, Inland / Continental, Mountain / cold

Calendar

  1. January
  2. February — Planting
  3. March — Planting
  4. April — Harvest — Planting
  5. May — Harvest
  6. June — Harvest
  7. July
  8. August
  9. September
  10. October — Planting
  11. November — Planting
  12. December
  • Harvest
  • Planting

Medicinal use: The petioles are consumed cooked in sweets and desserts, but the leaf blades are toxic as they contain oxalic acid.

Where to buy

Related plants

Other species in the same layer or with the same function.

See which trees the rhubarb grows well with

We have no trees recorded with this species yet. Start from the tree on your land.

See the central trees

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