There is more to rhubarb than delicious pies!

Here are 5 unexpected facts about rhubarb you may not have known about:

1. Rhubarb is classified as both a fruit and a vegetable. Although it was classified as one of a handful of perennial vegetables on the planet, in 1947 the USDA classified it as a fruit because tariffs were cheaper on fruit than on vegetables.
2. Rhubarb is an excellent source of vitamin K which is important for bone health and supporting blood clotting. It is also high in vitamin C, manganese, iron, and calcium.
3. In TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), rhubarb is an important herb for treating recent and long-term Blood Stasis. This includes the treatment of such conditions as trauma, amenorrhea, cancer, heart disease, and many other Blood Stagnation-related ailments.
4. The pigment parietin, found in rhubarb, is known to slow the growth of cancer cells, especially leukemia.
5. During Islamic times, rhubarb was imported along the Silk Road reaching Europe in the 14th century. The plant was more expensive than cinnamon, opium, or saffron.

Find out more about this culinary and medicinal herb.