Alaska wild rhubarb (Polygonum alpinum)
At a glance
- Lifecycle
- Perennial (hardy)
- Exposure
- Full sun
- Frost limit
- −28.9 °C
Cultivation
Succeeds in an ordinary garden soil. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits. Plants can be invasive but they are easily controlled by spading around the clump.
Propagation
Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Germination is usually free and easy. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer if they have reached sufficient size. If not, overwinter them in a cold frame and plant them out the following spring after the last expected frosts. Division in spring or autumn. Very easy, 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.
Edible uses
Leaves - raw or cooked. Leaf stems - raw or cooked. An acid flavour, they can be cut into sections and used like rhubarb (Rheum spp). The juice from the plant has been sweetened and used as a refreshing drink. Seed - raw or cooked. It is rather small and fiddly to utilize.
Medicinal uses
The whole plant is astringent.
Habitat
Damp meadows, wood margins and mixed grass steppes.
Native range
Europe to E. Asia.
Scientific synonyms Aconogonon alpinum