Variety

Rhubarb Canada Red

Synonyms : Chipman’s Canada Red

In the 1920s, George Fisher Chipman embarked on a plant breeding program on a property he had acquired in Charleswood, a southwestern suburb of Winnipeg. On this experimental farm, which he expanded from 4 to 17 acres, he developed fruit and vegetable varieties, including apples, plums, gooseberries, strawberries, raspberries, and rhubarb, better suited to the Prairie climate. He drew inspiration from the work of William Saunders*, who directed the Dominion Experimental Farms network from 1886 to 1911.

When Chipman, editor of the Country Guide, established an experimental garden in Charleswood, near Winnipeg, rhubarb was one of the first plants he planted. He planted Macdonald and Ruby varieties, as well as one or two plants of the green variety Green Giant. He saved kilos of seeds from these varieties, which he then sowed. Each year he saved
the seed from the best seedlings and grew thousands of plants. Canada Red is a seedling of Macdonald with many of the parent characteristics. It forms a robust, vigorous plant, and its color is more intense than that of the Macdonald variety. Its stem is red at the core and turns a deep, intense red once cooked.

It is vigorous, very undemanding, and well-suited to cold regions, with high frost tolerance. Its fleshy red stems have a high sugar content and retain their vibrant color after cooking.

Excellent for flavoring many dishes, its high sugar content makes it perfect for pies, jams, and freezing. Juice yield: 79.9%. Anthocyanin content: 60 mg/kg fresh weight. The stems can be used to make delicious pies, jams, and sauces. They can be frozen or canned for later use.

The stems are thicker, more fibrous, and woody than those of the Victoria or Turkish varieties. They are red on the outside and reddish-green on the inside. Red varieties are preferred by some for culinary dishes that require a red color.

It often produces shorter, thinner stems than other varieties, but it is tender, very sweet, and a deep red color. It produces fewer flower stalks.

Petiole type : 7

Petiole color : Mid red
Color of the pulpit : Red and red-green
Color when cooked : Red
Petiole hairiness : Smooth and slightly rough at the top
Stalk height : 90 cm (36”)
Hardiness (Canadian Zone) : 3
Number of ribs : 5

Origin : Canada
Year : 1920-1935
Developed by : George Fisher Chipman, Experimental Farm, Charleswood, Winnipeg, Canada.
Availability : Available in Canada
Last update : 2026-05-12

Quotes about Canada Red

1939 — When the late Geo. F. Chipman, Editor of the Country Guide, started a garden for experiments at Charleswood, near Winnipeg, rhubarb was one of the first kinds of plant set out. He set out Macdonald, Ruby, and one or two plants of a large green variety Green Giant. From the Macdonald and Ruby he saved pounds of seed and planted it. Each year he saved the seed from the best seedlings and grew thousands of plants. Canada Red is a seedling of Macdonald with many of the parent characteristics. It makes a strong plant, is a vigorous grower, and has better color than Macdonald. The stalk is red right through and is a deep rich red when cooked. Shortcake is a seedling of Ruby. It does not make so strong a plant as Macdonald, but the stalk is of excellent texture and color. The name is associated with the fact that a good shortcake has been made from stalks of this variety. A third Chipman seedling has been named Red Emperor. It promises well but is not yet generally available.
Source : Rhubarb in Alberta, J.S. Shoemaker, 1939

1944 — A brand new Rhubarb imported from Canada. Stems dark red clear to heart and up in the leaf. Produces the sweetest and finest flavored, most beautiful red sauce. Stock limited.
Source : The 1944 book of selected planting stock - Fruit trees, berry bushes, ornamentals, Andrews Nursery Company, Faribault, Minnesota, 1944

1946 — A brand new Rhubarb imported from Canada. Stems dark red clear to heart and up in the leaf. Produces the sweetest and finest flavored, most beautiful red sauce. Stock limited.
Source : The 1946 book of selected planting stock - Fruit trees, berry bushes, ornamentals, Andrews Nursery Company, Faribault, Minnesota, 1946

1949 — New Chipman's Canadian Red Rhubarb This new rhubarb has flavor and color of Ruby. The newest and rated one of the finest of all rhubarbs. It is well worth the slight additional cost. Hand cut divisions.
Source : Spring Hill Nurseries 100th anniversary, 1949

2003 — Durant les années 1920, Chipman avait également lancé un programme d’amélioration des plantes dans sa propriété de Charleswood, au sud-ouest de Winnipeg. Dans cette ferme expérimentale – dont la superficie s’étendit de 4 à 17 acres –, il cultiva des variétés de fruits et de légumes (surtout des pommes et des prunes, mais aussi des groseilles à maquereau, des fraises, des framboises et de la rhubarbe) plus particulièrement appropriées au climat des Prairies. Il s’inspirait des travaux de William Saunders*, qui avait dirigé le réseau des fermes expérimentales du dominion de 1886 à 1911. Chipman ne réussit pas à créer la « pomme à un million de dollars », variété robuste qui aurait pu s’épanouir durant la saison estivale sèche et chaude, et survivre au froid intense de l’hiver ; ce fut l’un de ses rêves inassouvis. Il rédigea des articles sur ses méthodes horticoles, qu’il publia dans sa revue et dans de nombreux opuscules et communiqués spéciaux. Très largement reconnu en sa qualité d’expert de la culture de fruits dans les Prairies, il distribua des semis à des centaines de fermiers de l’ouest du pays, et conseilla des horticulteurs des quatre coins du Canada et des États-Unis.
Source : Dictionnaire biographique du Canada, vol. 16, Université Laval/University of Toronto, 2003

2012 — Canadian introduction. Stalks are long, thick, and red throughout their length; vigorous; produces few seed stalks.
Source : Horticultural Reviews, Volume 40 - Wiley-Blackwell - 2012, Thomas M. Gradziel, Kim E. Hummer, Paolo Inglese, 2012

2021 — Semi-erect attitude, type of cross-section 7, red ground color of skin, entire distribution of skin superimposed color at base, entire distribution of skin superimposed color at middle, speckled distribution of skin superimposed color just below leaf blade, present hairiness just below leaf blade, strong ribbing of dorsal side, green color of flesh
Source : The effect of the cultivar and harvest term on the yield and nutritional value of rhubarb juice, Ivana Mezeyová, Ján Mezey, Alena Andrejiová, 2021

2023 — Moderate red Multiple uses. Colour resists fading when processed. High yielding variety.
Source : Rhubarb - Underutilized Vegetable Crops - Importance and Cullivalion, Aman Deep Ranga, Jagmeet Singh, 2023

2024 — Moderate red, Multiple uses. Color resists fading when processed. High yielding variety.
Source : How to Grow Rhubarb in Your Garden, Taun Beddes, Utah State University, 2024

2024 — Instantly identifiable by the brightness of its blood-red stalks, ‘Canada Red’ carries a particularly sweet taste that means you won’t require quite so much sugar in your recipe. What’s more, the pleasing contrast of the lush green foliage against the crimson stalks enhances the aesthetic appeal of your garden, too. The plant generally grows up to about a metre or more in height and should produce harvestable stems for about five years before its powers will wane. It can be harvested anytime between April and June, depending upon the specific plant in question and the conditions in your part of the UK.
Source : Horticulture Magazine - UK Website, 2024

2024 — It is a variety that has been sold by Home Depot for the last several years. It has red stalks that are also red when cross-sectioned. We have one clump at the museum and it has been abused a lot so we're not sure if it will make it. Strawberry and Strawberry Red They are probably the same thing but one cannot be sure. We have grown Strawberry rhubarb from seed and have also obtained one root of the plant for growing from a grower in Quebec. The name does not describe the flavour, it indicates the colour of the stalk. We have 2 clumps of Strawberry growing at the Museum and are hoping that it will establish itself over the next couple of years. The Strawberry Red were just added this year, and we still testing it out.
Source : Garden Projects at the Museum - Our choice of vegetable to discuss is rhubarb, POMO Museum, Port Moody Heritage Society, 2024

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