Turkey Rhubarb

Rheum officinale, commonly known as Turkey Rhubarb, Chinese Rhubarb, or Da Huang, is a long-used plant from the early medical traditions of North East Asia. Native to the cool, mountainous regions of China and Tibet, it has been cultivated for centuries for its medicinal root. Early Chinese physicians regarded it as a cleansing herb of considerable strength, and it appears in some of the oldest surviving materia medica texts, where it was used to purge heat and stagnation from the body.

Dried roots moved westward along the Silk Road and became a valuable trade commodity between Asia and Europe. In medieval times, true rhubarb root was rare and costly, often reserved for physicians and apothecaries. It was used as a strong purgative, and by the time it reached Europe, it was widely used to cleanse the system. It was used as a strong purgative, and by the time it reached Europe, it was widely used to cleanse the system. In more recent herbal traditions, it is included in the Essiac formula, a blend of roots and herbs used in North American folk herbalism and associated with detoxifying regimens.

Turkey Rhubarb is a fast-growing perennial that develops into a large plant with broad, round leaves held on reddish stems. The young spring stems can be cooked and eaten in the same way as other rhubarb, but the leaves are toxic and should not be eaten.

It prefers fertile, moist locations with slightly acidic soil, and benefits from deep mulch to maintain soil richness and moisture. An easy to grow perennial, hardy to zone 4, it settles in readily and expands into a substantial planting over time.