Rhubarb, also known as pieplant or, scientifically, Rheum rhaponticum, seems to be either loved or hated. Its tart flavor may be an "acquired taste" (and some, perhaps, will never be converted!); but if it is only unfamiliarity that keeps you away, here is some information that may inspire you.
Rhubarb is botanically a vegetable. The edible portion is the leaf stalk, or petiole, which is red or green (or sometimes red-and-green, that strange color found only in nature). One of rhubarb's many idiosyncrasies is that while it is a vegetable botanically, culinarily it takes the place of a fruit. Maybe, like me, you have sometimes wished you had a nice fruit tree in your yard which would provide ingredients for pies. Rhubarb is low-maintenance like a vegetable but it does work like a fruit in this way.
Rhubarb was being used in China thousands of years ago for its medicinal qualities, but the variety known today and used for gardens is not the same. The garden rhubarb grown in North America probably originated in Siberia. As such, it prefers cold climates with freezing winters. It is a perennial plant that is sometimes thought of as a biennial because it should not be harvested the first year. Actually, the third year is the one to wait for, if you want the plant to thrive. It can then be productive for five years or so.
Rhubarb does not reproduce true to seed, and is usually propagated vegetatively, that is, by cuttings. Over the winter, the above-ground portions die back, while the underground rhizomes and fleshy root system are the perennial parts. Rhubarb is a member of the botanical family Polygonaceae (which in Latin means literally "many knees," in reference to the many conspicuous nodes on its stem). Other familar family members are buckwheat and sorrel.
In fact it may be the biochemistry of rhubarb and some of the other Polygonaceae plants that makes them somewhat notorious, and not without cause. To lesser or greater degrees they contain oxalic acid, which lends the tart taste many people love, but which is also toxic if taken in too large quantity. This is why the leaves and roots of rhubarb should never be eaten. Only the petioles (leaf stalks) are edible. While the toxicity of rhubarb depends on the portion of the plant concerned, growing conditions such as soil and climate, and even sometimes variations in people's particular sensitivity to oxalic acid, do exercise caution. Only the leaf stalks should be used, and they should be well cooked.
Gardeners such as Louise Riotte, author of Carrots Love Tomatoes and other books, exploit the biochemical attributes of rhubarb to battle garden pests. She recommends companion-planting of rhubarb with columbines to keep away spider mites. She also describes a spray made by boiling rhubarb leaves, and which can protect roses from pests and diseases (Riotte, 139-40).
Other authors, such as John Heinerman, tout rhubarb as a folk remedy for psoriasis and arthritis. He also claims it can strengthen tooth enamel and lower cholesterol. (Again, only the leaf stalks!) And moderation is the other key; while rhubarb contains such nutrients as vitamins A and C, potassium, and calcium, the calcium is bound by the oxalates. In excess, oxalic intake can block the body's absorption of calcium (Heinerman, 298-300).
Given some of the above, why bother with rhubarb? It is really fairly easy to avoid the excess oxalates by removing leaf stalks from the other parts immediately. And besides, there is no substitute for the unique taste of rhubarb. Besides rhubarb pie (which singlehandedly justifies rhubarb in my opinion), people use rhubarb for other desserts, as a sauce for meat or ice cream, and even to make wine. For more growing tips, history, folk wisdom and recipes, the internet has many sites that prove that rhubarb is a vegetable that inspires many people to feelings of love.
Websites:
University of Illinois Extension Website.
Books:
Creasy, Rosalind. The Complete Book of Edible Landscaping. San Francisco: Sierra Club Books, 1982.
Elpel, Thomas J. Botany in a Day. Pony, MT.: Hops Press, 1998.
Halpin, Ann Moyer et al. (eds.) Unusual Vegetables. Emmaus, PA.: Rodale Press, 1978.
Heinerman, John. Heinerman's Encyclopedia of Fruits, Vegetables, and Herbs. West Nyack, NY.: Parker Publishing, 1988.
Riotte, Louise. Carrots Love Tomatoes. Pownal, VT.: Storey Communications,
1975.