Variety

Rhubarb Canada Red

Synonyms : Chipman’s Canada Red

Developed in Canada it often produces shorter, thinner and less fibrous stems than other varieties, but it is tender and very sweet with a good red color. One of the sweetest varieties on the market. It produces fewer flower stems.

Good vigor, very undemanding and adapted to cold regions with high frost tolerance. The red, fleshy stems have a high sugar content and retain their bright color even after cooking.

Excellent for flavoring many dishes, its high sugar content is suitable for pies, jams and freezing. Juice yield: 79.9%. Anthocyanins: 60mg/kg of fresh weight. The stems are used to make delicious pies, jams and sauces. Can be frozen or canned for later use.

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

Often produces shorter, thinner stems than other varieties, but it is tender and very sweet with good red color. It produces fewer flower stems.

Stalk 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”)
Brix : 6,0
Number of ribs : 5

Origin : Canada
Year : 1960
Developed by : Some sources suggest that it was developed in the 1960s by the Horticulture Program of the Ministry of Agriculture of Canada in Ottawa, while other sources indicate that it comes from a natural selection in a garden vegetable garden in Quebec.
Availability : Available in Canada

Quotes about Canada Red

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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