Varieties

Rhubarb Valentine

Large stems, excellent for home gardeners, long red stems, dark red petioles that retain their color when cooked, vigorous, known for its red petioles and the production of few or no flower stems.

Once cooked, the stems retain their shape and produce a bright, light pink liquid. Fragrant, leafy and sweet aroma. Tender, moist but firm and had a slight rhubarb taste, slightly sour and slightly bitter.

Bright red stems make this variety the most attractive; vigor is a little lacking; almost never produces flower stems.

Stalk color : Dark red and slightly green at the top
Color of the pulpit : Dark red and slightly green at the top
Color when cooked : Red
Petiole hairiness : Smooth and rough at the top
Stalk height : 90 cm (36”)
Brix : 3,54
Number of ribs : 5

Origin : Canada
Year : 1938
Developed by : Vineland Hort. Exp. Sta, Ontario
Availability : Available in Canada

Quotes about Valentine

Valentine – Breeder and vendor: Hort. Expt. Sta., Vineland Station, Ont., Canada. Vendor: Burpee, Gurney’s. Parentage: open pollinated seedling of Macdonald. Characteristics: brilliant red color with deep red flesh; high quality; absence of seed stalks; specially suitable for freezing; good rosy color when cooked, broad stalks 22″ long, superb flavor. Similar: Macdonald. Adaptation: wide. Hort. Expt. Sta. Rpt. 1945.
Source : Vegetable Cultivar Descriptions for North America – Rhubarb, Todd C. Wehner, Jeanine M. Davis and George B. Cox - Department of Horticultural Science North Carolina State University, 2016

Valentine - bright red stalks make this variety the most attractive; vigour is lacking somewhat; almost free of seedstalk development.
Source : Rhubarb Production in Alberta - Agri-Facts, Alberta Agriculture, Food And Rural Development - Agdex, 2002

Fruit, Vegetable and Ornamental Cultivars Released by the Vineland Horticultural Experiment Station : Valentine, Parental: Macdonald, open-pollinated, 1938
Source : Celebrating A Century of Success - 1906-2006, Horticultural Experiment Station, Vineland and the University of Guelph, 2006

Red, noted for its long, thick stalks, and limited ﬂowering.
Source : Horticultural Reviews, Volume 40 - Wiley-Blackwell - 2012, Thomas M. Gradziel, Kim E. Hummer, Paolo Inglese, 2012

Erect attitude, type of cross-section 3, red ground color of skin, entire distribution of skin superimposed color at base, speckled distribution of skin superimposed color at middle, speckled distribution of skin superimposed color just below leaf blade, absent hairiness just below leaf blade, medium ribbing of dorsal side, Pink 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

Deep red Historic variety grown for its classic rhubarb flavour. Colour resists fading when processed.
Source : Rhubarb - Underutilized Vegetable Crops - Importance and Cullivalion, Aman Deep Ranga, Jagmeet Singh, 2023

Deep red, Historic variety grown for its classic rhubarb flavor. Color resists fading when processed.
Source : How to Grow Rhubarb in Your Garden, Taun Beddes, Utah State University, 2024

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