Victoria Rhubarb

Rheum rhabarbarum 'Victoria'

vegetable

Victoria is a classic green-and-pink-stalked rhubarb, a hardy perennial grown for its thick, tart leaf stalks used like fruit in pies, sauces, and preserves. The bold clumps return reliably each spring for many years and are among the first things ready in the garden, though only the stalks are eaten, since the large leaves are toxic.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Brassicas — Rhubarb foliage may help deter some cabbage pests nearby
• Garlic — Scent helps deter pests around the crown
• Strawberries — Share a permanent bed and ripen in the same season
• Beans — Fix nitrogen for this heavy feeder

❌ Keep away from

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Rhubarb curculio →

  Handpick the beetles and remove nearby wild dock that hosts them

• Crown rot →

  Plant in well-drained soil and avoid burying the crown too deep or letting it sit wet

• Leaf toxicity

  Cut off and compost the leaves; never eat them, as they are high in oxalic acid

🌾 Harvest & storage

Do not harvest the first year, and take only a few stalks the second, letting the plant establish; from the third year on, harvest freely through spring and early summer. Pull or twist off the outer stalks when they are about a foot long, leaving at least half the plant, and always cut away and discard the leaf blades, which contain toxic oxalic acid.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Rhubarb stalks are very low in calories and provide vitamin K, vitamin C, and fiber, with their sharp tartness coming from natural acids; only the stalks are edible, as the leaves contain toxic levels of oxalic acid.

⚠️ Toxicity & safety

Eat only the stalks. Rhubarb LEAVES are toxic - they are high in oxalic acid and should never be eaten. Cut the leaves off and compost them; use only the stalks.