CANADA RED rhubarb

Origin & history

• Canada Red is a variety developed in Canada.
• One source says it comes from a MacDonald seedling, so it shares several parental characteristics.
• The name Chipman's Canada Red is also used as a synonym.

Main characteristics

• Stem/flesh color    
  • Bright red stems (on the outside), red to greenish-red on the inside. The red color persists even after cooking.
    
• Taste/texture    
  • Very sweet, juicy, tender flesh; less fibrous than some green varieties.
    
• Vigor & hardiness    
  • Robust, fairly vigorous plant, suited to cold regions. High tolerance to frost.
    
• Height/size    
  • Approximately 35 inches for stems. Noticeable width of plant.
    
• Flowering/flower stalks    
  • Produces few flower stalks (less bolting) compared to other varieties.
    
• Hardiness zones/climate    
  • Canadian zones ≈ zone 3

Culinary uses

• Thanks to its sweetness, recipes often require less sugar.
• Excellent for pies, compotes, jams, sauces, and freezing.
• This variety has a high juice yield (≈ 79.9%).

Advantages & disadvantages

Advantages:

• Beautiful red color that holds up well when cooked.
• Very sweet, pleasant texture, less fibrous than some varieties.
• Good hardiness, tolerates cold winters.
• Reasonable productivity.

Disadvantages / things to watch out for:

• Stems may be shorter or thinner than some more robust varieties.
• As with all rhubarb, the texture can become more fibrous if harvested too late in the season or if the plant is stressed (drought, excessive heat). (Not specific to Canada Red, but general).
• Requires good sunlight to achieve a satisfactory red color intensity.