Rheum spiciforme

Rheum spiciforme is a small perennial in the Polygonaceae family. The RHS calls it spiked rhubarb. Its native range runs from Afghanistan to western China and the Himalaya. Records also place it in parts of Central Asia. It grows in cold subalpine or subarctic regions. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

This plant reaches about 1 foot (0.3 metres) in height. In the wild, it grows among shrubs and on open slopes. Its recorded sites lie in the drier parts of these mountain regions. They stand at elevations of 11,800–15,750 feet (3,600–4,800 metres). It flowers in June, and its seeds ripen in August. Each flower has both male and female organs. Wind carries the pollen between flowers.

In gardens, give it deep, fertile soil with plenty of humus. The soil should hold moisture but let excess water drain away. Loam and heavy clay both suit this species. It accepts mildly acid, neutral, and mildly alkaline soil. Choose a site in full sun or partial shade. Keep the soil moist rather than treating it as a dry-site plant. Its dry mountain habitat does not replace its stated need for garden moisture. Plants For A Future reports cold tolerance to about −20°C. Cultivated beds offer one place to grow this small perennial.

The leaf stalks have a recorded food use, either raw or cooked. This food record concerns the stalks, not the leaf blades. Plants For A Future gives its food value two out of five. The root has a recorded medicinal use as a purgative. That record describes a use, not proof of safe home treatment. The same source rates its medicinal value one out of five. It lists no other uses and does not flag it as weedy.

Raise new plants from seed or divide established rootstocks. Sow seed in a shaded cold frame in autumn or spring. Move seedlings into separate pots once they are large enough. Keep them in a greenhouse or cold frame through their first winter. Plant them out the next spring. Divide plants in early spring or autumn. Each piece needs at least one growth bud. Large divisions can go straight into their final sites. Keep small divisions in pots until they establish well.