Pieplant, Chinese rhubarb, Chinghai rhubarb
Rheum palmatum

Family: Polygonaceae

What it is like

A plant that keeps growing from year to year. It grows 1.5-2.4 m high and spreads 1.5 m wide. It has a thick rhizome. The leaf stalks are thick and fleshy. The leaves have deep lobes and teeth. They are 100 cm wide. The young leaves are purplish-red. The flowers are in fluffy panicles. They flowers are small and pink. They grow on tall stems. The fruit have 3 wings.

It is used in medicine.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It grows between 1,500-4,400 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 6-9. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Britain, Canada, China (country/location of origin), Colombia, Europe, Indochina, Mongolia, North America, SE Asia, Tasmania, Tibet, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The leaf stalks are sometimes eaten or made into wine or preserves. The rhizomes are used in medicine.

Edible parts

Leaf stalks, rhizome, root

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Daihoang chuongdiep

Synonyms

Rhabarbarum palmatum (L.) Moench; Rheum potaninii Losinsk; Rheum qinlingense Y. K. Yang, D. K. Zhang & J. K. Wu;