Rheum officinale
(Chinese Rhubarb)

Family - Polygonaceae
Category - Perennial
Year of Introduction - 1871
Season of Interest - Spring, Summer, Autumn
Hardiness - H6
Height - 3m
Width - 2m or more
Location - The Spring Garden, The Woodland Walk

Description: A clump-forming Perennial of enormous size. Massive, mid to dark green leaves are palmately lobed with toothed and jagged margins. Each leaf can reach to 1.2m across. Small, star-shaped flowers are a shade of creamy white. The flowers are held in panicles on very tall stems (to 3m in height) that tower above the foliage and are produced in early summer.

Flower:

Small, star-shaped flowers are creamy-white and produced in June. The flowers are held in panicles well above the foliage on very tall stems that can reach 3m high.

Flower colour: White

Flower shape: Star-shaped flowers held in panicles

Flowering time: June

Foliage:

Enormous, mid to dark green leaves are palmately lobed and have toothed and jagged margins. Each leaf can reach to 1.2m across. The leaves emerge from round buds at the base of the plant and form large basal rosettes. Fewer, smaller leaves are Alternately arranged on the flowering stems.

Foliage Senescence: Deciduous

Foliage Shape: Palmately lobed

Propagation:

Division.

Cultivation:

Best in full sun to partial shade in fertile, moisture-retentive soil that is well-drained.