Rhubarb Flower Stalks

What to do when your Rhubarb plant flowers: Rhubarb flower stalks were coming fast on our plants this spring. The plants are a few years old, but a few might be planted too close together which could add to the stress the plants were experiencing. This year’s extensive flowering may also be large part due to the early heat and overall mild early spring we had. The Rhubarb bolted early and quickly!

Pluck off the flower stalks when they’re immature and just beginning to appear at the base of the plant. If you’re getting to them when they’re tall and showing the white flower, firmly grip the flower stalk from the base and pull off the stalk in the same way Rhubarb is harvested for stalks. If you feel like doing so would damage the plant (maybe the plant is very young or it’s a very dry year) you can snip the flower stalks at their base. Taking these steps will continue sending energy to your Rhubarb stalks & roots!

Fun fact: rhubarb flowers make an excellent cut flower! Simply snip them at a 45 degree angle and enjoy in your arrangements.

One more fun fact: Rhubarb will cross-pollinate and if you have more than one variety of Rhubarb planted near each other and you don’t get around to removing your flower stalks, you may see a unique variety of Rhubarb in your garden the following year.