Death Camas near my rhubarb bed. . . - Ask Extension
Greetings from Denali,
I recently moved into a house that comes with a couple of established rhubarb beds. One of the beds is on a slight slope, and...
Knowledgebase
Death Camas near my rhubarb bed. . . #872531
Asked June 10, 2024, 10:05 PM EDT
Greetings from Denali,
I recently moved into a house that comes with a couple of established rhubarb beds. One of the beds is on a slight slope, and near the bottom of that bed (about 18"), there is a patch of Death Camas which I just removed. Is it safe to eat the rhubarb that grows there? I can send photos if that helps. . .Thanks for any advice. . . Susan in Denali
Denali County Alaska
Expert Response
I would not eat anything near there. All parts of the plant are toxic and there is the chance of ingesting leftover seeds.
Hi and thanks for your quick response. I removed the plant before it got to the budding/flowering stage. You said that there is a chance of ingesting leftover seeds. . . I have a few more questions. . .
- Can the seeds be washed off of the stalks?
- How long would it take for seeds from the previous years to lose their toxicity?
- Also, now that the plant (including the bulb on the bottom of it) has been removed, how long until that rhubarb can be safely harvested in the future?
- When you said you wouldn't eat any of the rhubarb near there, could you define that distance in feet or yards? I have another bed about 15 feet away from the bed referenced above.
From what I've learned through the history of this house in Denali National Park's historical archives, the rhubarb plants have been here for decades, and I've had a few folks tell me of harvesting from the beds in years past.
As you can probably tell, I am really hoping that there's a way to avoid poisoning through careful harvesting/processing. Thanks for any additional information, much appreciated.
From: ask=<personal data hidden> <ask=<personal data hidden>> on behalf of Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>>
Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2024 9:00 AM
To: Susan B Wright <<personal data hidden>>
Subject: Re: Death Camas near my rhubarb bed. . . (#0142449)
Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2024 9:00 AM
To: Susan B Wright <<personal data hidden>>
Subject: Re: Death Camas near my rhubarb bed. . . (#0142449)
Dear Susan, here's the response to your question:
I would not eat anything near there. All parts of the plant are toxic and there is the chance of ingesting leftover seeds.
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These are questions I do not have an answer for. Sorry, but it 35 years of working for Extension I've never had these questions. I wish I could refer you to someone.
