Rheum tataricum aka Yuan Ye Da Huang

Rheum tataricum is a perennial in the Polygonaceae family. Its common name is Tartarian rhubarb. Kew places its native range from Ukraine to western Xinjiang. Plants For A Future also lists Kazakhstan within its range. It belongs to the temperate flora of this broad region. It is not native to Britain or Ireland. Recorded habitats include dry, open ground, grassland, and desert sites.

This plant reaches about 1.6 feet [0.5 metres] in height. The available evidence gives no mature width for garden plants. It flowers in May, with seeds ripening from June to July. Each flower has both male and female organs. Wind carries pollen between the flowers. The sources give no species-level details of leaf shape or flower colour. They also provide no clear account of its fruit form.

Plants For A Future lists loam and clay as suitable soils. It also reports that the plant can grow in heavy clay. Good drainage matters, though the soil may be dry or moist. Its stated pH range runs from mildly acid to mildly alkaline. It can grow in full sun or partial shade. The source suggests a preference for dry soil, but marks this as uncertain. British hardiness remains unclear in the available account. The source suggests milder areas may suit it, based on its range. It gives no confirmed hardiness zone for this species.

The edible parts include leaf stalks and unopened flower clusters. Cooked leaf stalks have a sour taste. They can serve as a fruit substitute in tarts. The source gives no preparation details for the flower clusters. Its food-use rating is two out of five. It lists no known medicinal uses or other uses. The supplied account offers no species-specific evidence about leaf toxicity. Its safety warning instead draws on other members of the genus. That warning should not count as proof about this species.

Plants For A Future lists cultivated beds as a growing setting. Its propagation notes cover both seed sowing and division. Sow seed in a cold frame in autumn or spring. Grow young plants under cover through their first winter. Plant them out in spring once they are established. Divide plants in early spring or autumn. Each piece needs at least one growth bud. Pot up small divisions until they establish before planting out.