Rhubarb: Growing It, Eating It, and What You Need to Know

I've had my rhubarb plant for close to 20 years. I've moved it five different times, different beds, different corners of the farm and every single time, it comes back. That kind of resilience earns a place in any garden, and honestly, it's earned a spot on this blog too.

If you've never grown rhubarb before, it's one of those plants that asks very little and gives a lot in return. And if you've never cooked with it, paired with strawberries especially, you're missing out on something genuinely good.

What Rhubarb Actually Is

Rhubarb is a perennial vegetable though a 1947 court ruling actually classified it as a fruit for trade purposes, which is its own kind of story. It grows from thick underground rhizomes and pushes up stalks each spring. The stalks are what you eat. The leaves are not. The leaves contain oxalic acid at levels high enough to be toxic, to people and animals both. When you harvest, cut the leaves off right away and put them directly in the garbage, away from the compost bin and anywhere animals or kids could get into them.

The stalks are deep red with bright green tops striking. Raw, they're quite sour, which is why recipes almost always pair them with something sweet. Strawberries are the classic match, and the combination holds up.

Planting and Care

Rhubarb does best in full sun with well-drained, fertile soil. It prefers cooler climates and needs a period of cold dormancy each year to thrive which is part of why it keeps coming back spring after spring.

Plant rhubarb crowns (not seeds) in early spring or fall, spacing them about 3–4 feet apart so they have room to grow. Give them consistent water, especially during dry periods, since even deep roots still need moisture. As the plant matures, make sure it isn’t crowded and remove any flower stalks so it keeps its energy focused on producing edible stems instead of seeds. Every 5–6 years, divide the clumps to keep the plant healthy and to create new plants you can spread or share.

Don't harvest at all during the first year. Let the plant establish itself. By year two, take a few stalks. By year three, you'll have a full harvest.

How To Harvest

The best harvest window is spring into early summer, before heat makes the stalks tough and less flavorful. Say your plant has ten stalks. Cut eight of them and leave two. That's it. The plant keeps regenerating, which means you can keep cutting through the season without stripping it bare. The two stalks you leave are there to support the plant's ongoing energy. Aim for medium-sized stalks, firm, well-colored, and about thumb-thick since very thick ones get stringy and very thin ones aren’t worth using. Harvest by pulling with a slight twist or cutting at the base with a clean knife, then immediately remove and discard the leaves in the trash. Cutting and Freezing

Most of the time, you won’t harvest many stalks at once, just two or three at a time. That’s perfectly fine and a good reason to freeze them as you go. I usually chop them into small pieces, the same way you'd cut celery, and pack them into a freezer bag. When needed, you can use them straight from frozen, making it easy to enjoy rhubarb well beyond spring.

How People Eat It

The most popular uses are strawberry rhubarb jam and strawberry rhubarb pie. But it doesn't stop at pie and jam. I've been spreading strawberry rhubarb jam on waffles alongside eggs and sausage, a full breakfast plate where the jam pulls everything together. It's the kind of thing that sounds simple but makes the meal. 

Nutrition According to WebMD’s article on the health benefits of Rhubarb, it is rich in antioxidants that may support antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activity, which could help lower the risk of conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The article also notes that rhubarb contains several important nutrients, including calcium, vitamins A, C, and K, as well as potassium, folate, manganese, and magnesium, making it a nutrient-dense food when prepared properly. We’re farmers, not dietitians or healthcare providers, so for any specific health concerns, it’s always best to talk with your doctor. What we can do is share what the research says.

The best advice I can offer, harvest it before the stalks get too fat, chop and freeze what you don't use right away, and make at least one batch of strawberry rhubarb jam this spring. Spread it on waffles with eggs and sausage on a slow morning, and you'll understand why this plant has been in gardens for centuries.