VICTORIA rhubarb

Origin & History

• Victoria is a very old variety, first introduced in 1837 by Joseph Myatt at Manor Farm, Deptford, England.
• It owes its name to Queen Victoria.
• It is one of the heirloom varieties still grown today, prized for its reliability and longevity.

Characteristics

Here are its typical features:

• Stems/petiole    
  • Generally green towards the top, with a reddish tinge (pink or red verging on red) at the base.
  • The color fades to green towards the top of the petiole.
    
• Size    
  • The stalks can be quite long and thick. Some sources mention stalks reaching 30-60 cm or more.
    
• Taste    
  • Typical tart flavor of rhubarb, but quite sweet when ripe. It is juicy.
    
• Hardiness/growing zone    
  • Very hardy: tolerates cold winters (zone 3 according to Canadian sources).
    
• Harvest period    
  • This is a mid-season spring variety. It produces stalks from May through summer.
    
• Use    
  • Very good for cooking: pies, jams, compotes, desserts. Also used for forcing (growing plants indoors or under cover) to obtain earlier or off-season stalks.

Strengths

• Very reliable, proven variety that lasts a long time.
• Good productivity, especially if the soil is rich and well maintained.
• Pleasant taste, texture not too stringy if well cultivated.
• Good adaptability to cold climates, which is an advantage in regions such as Quebec.

Limitations/things to watch out for

• It tends to produce flower stalks/seed stalks quite frequently. If these flowers appear, they must be removed quickly, otherwise they can weaken the plant as they draw on its reserves.
• Due to its early growth in spring and the fact that it can be forced, growing conditions (temperature, light, soil) must be carefully managed to obtain good quality.
• According to some sources, the upper stems (near the leaves) may be less colorful or less red, especially if exposure or light is not optimal.