Varieties

Rhubarb Glaskin's Perpetual

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.

Stalk color : Red and slightly green at the top
Color when cooked : Red
Number of ribs : 7

Origin : Angleterre
Year : 1920
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

Return to the list of varieties