Rheum nobile
| Rheum nobile | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 5' |
| Width: | 3' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Late Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Rheum nobile (common name: sikkim rhubarb)
Propagation: Seed - best sown in autumn in a shaded cold frame[1]. The seed can also be sown in spring in a cold frame. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse or cold frame for their first winter, planting them out in the spring.
Division in early spring or autumn[2][3]. Divide up the rootstock with a sharp spade or knife, making sure that there is at least one growth bud on each division. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.
Cultivation: Prefers a deep, fertile, moderately heavy, humus rich, moisture retentive, well-drained soil in sun or semi-shade. Grows well in heavy clay soils.
A very ornamental plant[2], it is hardy to about -15°c[1].
Plants have proved very difficult to grow in cultivation in Britain[4].
Plants in this genus seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[5].
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[1].
Range: E. Asia - Himalayas from Nepal to S.E. Tibet.
Habitat: Rock ledges around 4000 metres[4]. Open slopes to 4500 metres[6].
Edibility: Leaf stem - raw or cooked[6][7][8][9]. Pleasantly acid, this is a commonly used vegetable where it grows wild[10][8].
Medicinal: The root is astringent, carminative, depurative, diuretic, purgative and tonic[6][11][12]. Small doses act as an astringent tonic to the digestive system, whilst larger doses act as a mild laxative[13].
The flowering stem is used in Tibetan medicine, it is said to have a sour taste and a heating potency[14]. It is antiemetic, diuretic and laxative[14]. It is used in the treatment of swellings and fullness of the abdomen as well as to rid the body of retained fluids[14].
Pollinators: Wind
Soil: Can grow in medium and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Known Hazards: Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, the leaves of some if not all members of this genus contain significant quantities of oxalic acid and should not be eaten in any quantity. Oxalic acid can lock up certain minerals in the body, e
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Sanders, Thomas. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge, 1926.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Perennials - The Definitve Reference. Pan Books, 1991.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Polunin, Oleg and Adam Stainton. Flowers of the Himalayas. Oxford Universtiy Press, 1984.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Manandhar, Narayan. Plants and People of Nepal. Timber Press, 2002.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Jingwei, Zhang and Ching-Wei Chang. Alpine Plants of China. Horizon Books, 1982.
- ↑ Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.
- ↑ Castro, Miranda. The Complete Homeopathy Handbook. Macmillan, 1990.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Tsarong, Tsewang. Tibetan Medicinal Plants. Tibetan Medical Publications, 1994.