[7] Imported roots of various rhubarb species were widely used in Europe for hundreds of years before the identity of the plant was eventually discovered.

[7] In ancient China, rhubarb root was taken to try to cure stomach ailments and as a "cathartic" (an agent used to relieve constipation), and used as a poultice for "fevers and edema" (swelling caused by fluid retention in the body tissues).

[7] If taken for an extended amount of time, adverse effects include: "hypertrophy of the liver, thyroid, and stomach, as well as nausea, griping, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.

"[7] Though the root of the Chinese rhubarb is a key facet of herbal medicine, its leaves can actually be poisonous if consumed in large amounts due to the oxalic acid content.

[7] Patients with "arthritis, kidney problems, inflammatory bowel disease, or intestinal obstruction" should refrain from consumption.

[8] The following cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:-[11] Since it is the roots and rhizome which serve as this plant's source of medicinal usage, special care is taken in their preparation.

[7] When 6–10 years old, the rhizomes of these plants are removed from the ground in the autumn when both its stems and leaves changed to yellow wild.