Rheum 'Ace of Hearts'

Rheum 'Ace of Hearts' is a hybrid between Rheum palmatum and Rheum kialense. It derives its colouration from Rheum palmatum with its powerful red venation together with the maroon-red colour of it abaxial leaf surfaces and it inherits its smaller, more manageable size from Rheum kialense. In exotic gardens there is a compelling tendency to 'go big', to plant the gigantic and oversized. When it comes to rhubarbs that usually means choosing the larger Gunnera species (Gunnera manicata, Gunnera tinctoria, Gunnera peltata, Gunnera magnifica, Gunnera masafuerae) or Darmera peltatum or the larger Rheums (Rheum palmatum and Rheum officinale). There is however a slight drawback with this approach if the garden is of a smaller size. All those species can get enormous and in a small garden they can very quickly become a glaring and somewhat embarrassing mistake. The answer is Rheum 'Ace of Hearts'. A well-behaved ornamental rhubarb with spectacular foliage colour that just happens to be no more than knee-high, fits in with all your other foliage plants and doesn't leave an enormous bare patch in winter when it is dormant. Problem solved.