Variety

Rhubarb Glaskin's Perpetual

Glaskin’s Perpetual commemorates John Jessie Glaskin, a baker and greengrocer of Eastern Road, Brighton, who was born in 1875. He was a keen cyclist, marksman and gardener, who had an orchard in Kemp Town and grew roses as well developing the rhubarb that bears his name, not to mention winning prizes for his hot cross buns.
Mr Glaskin died in 1940, but happily his remarkable rhubarb lives on.

Cultivar first recorded in Brighton in the United Kingdom around 1920. It produces large, bright red colored stems that are juicy and retain their flavor well.

This variety can be harvested from early spring until late fall, hence its name. Where other varieties become too bitter as summer progresses, 'Glaskin's Perpetual' contains less oxalic acid than its counterparts, making it sweeter for longer.
Oxalic acid gives raw rhubarb a tangy taste and is also found in spinach and chard.

Enjoy delicious rhubarb pies, jams, wine and more with this high-yielding variety. Glaskin's Perpetual is a heavy producer of soft, vibrant red stems over a long harvest season.

Apparently it can be harvested the 1st year after sowing.

Petiole color : Red and slightly green at the top
Color when cooked : Red
Hardiness (Canadian Zone) : 3
Number of ribs : 7

Origin : Angleterre
Year : 1920
Developed by : John Jessie Glaskin
Availability : Available in Canada

Quotes about Glaskin's Perpetual

Short to medium-long petioles are greenish with red bases. Suitable for forcing. First listed in about 1920 in the UK.
Source : Horticultural Reviews, Volume 40 - Wiley-Blackwell - 2012, Thomas M. Gradziel, Kim E. Hummer, Paolo Inglese, 2012

Another candidate for the position of strongest all-rounder, ‘Glaskin’s Perpetual’ is favoured for its impressive flavour and extended harvesting time. When most species have accumulated too much oxalic acid to make their stems palatable, this plucky individual is still good to eat well into autumn. Its soft pink and green stem colouring puts some people off, but the sweetness of its flavour and the longevity of its picking season more than make up for those drawbacks in our opinion. We’re not alone, either; ‘Glaskin’s Perpetual’ is a perpetual favourite with amateur gardeners around the country.
Source : Horticulture Magazine - UK Website, 2024

This variety was listed in an Ontario seed catalogue from the 1930’s that we had consulted for a different project. Glaskins was bred in Great Britain in the 1920’s and was considered to be a good producer. When we grew it, we found it to be quite vigorous, and it had one interesting trait compared to the other rhubarbs that we grew: the stalks grew almost straight up. We no longer have Glaskins rhubarb growing at the Museum.
Source : Garden Projects at the Museum - Our choice of vegetable to discuss is rhubarb, POMO Museum, Port Moody Heritage Society, 2024

Glaskin’s Perpetual has not one but three claims to fame: it’s the only variety of rhubarb that can be cut in its first year (all the others need two to three years before they are robust enough to survive repeated cutting). And it contains less oxalic acid than any other kind, which means less tartness on the tongue and less sugar in the tart. Its other appealing quality is that its long, greenish stems remain tender right through the season, long after other cultivars have become unappetisingly bitter and tough. A good all-round variety: early cropping, easy to grow (even from seed) and quick to settle in. Glaskin’s Perpetual commemorates John Jessie Glaskin, a baker and greengrocer of Eastern Road, Brighton, who was born in 1875. He was a keen cyclist, marksman and gardener, who had an orchard in Kemp Town and grew roses as well developing the rhubarb that bears his name, not to mention winning prizes for his hot cross buns. Mr Glaskin died in 1940, but happily his remarkable rhubarb lives on.
Source : Forgotten fruits - The stories behind Britain’s traditional fruit and vegetables, Christopher Stocks, 2009

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