Early Champagne Rhubarb
Rheum x hybrdum
This old English variety with gooseberry green stems is thought to be a selection of
Hawke’s Champagne developed in the 1850s by Edward Hawkes. Early Champagne was
mentioned in The Gardener’s Monthly in 1860 and was sold by Peter Henderson of New York in 1906. It is also featured in Dr. Weaver’s 100 Vegetables and Where They Came From (2000). Its old-time popularity wa