Rhubarb, the Pie Plant

This is a small booklet that explains general GROWING PRACTICES for rhubarb plant and is meant for growers of this plant. Rhubarb is popularly known as ‘the pie-plant’ because of its significance as a major ingredient in preparing pies. Botanical name of Rhubarb is Rheum rhabarbarum. Rhubarb is a cool season crop which is grown as an herbaceous, perennial vegetable. Rhubarb belongs to the family Polygonaceae. The economically significant portion of the plant is its fleshy leafstalks and the plant is normally grown for these fleshy leaf stalks (petioles) only. Color of petioles may be red, white or green depending upon the cultivar.