Can You Eat Rhubarb Leaves?
Rhubarb is a great addition to pies and jams, but be careful which part you eat. The stalks are safe, but the leaves are poisonous. Rhubarb leaves contain soluble oxalates, which can irritate your mouth and tongue and leave a grainy sensation on your teeth. While it would take a large amount to cause severe symptoms, even a small taste can be unpleasant.
If someone has eaten rhubarb leaves, or you’re just unsure, call the Missouri Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222 for free, confidential help 24/7.
Transcript with visual descriptions
Visual: Thumbnail with an image of rhubarb leaves and the video title “Don’t eat rhubarb leaves!”. The Missouri Poison Center logo is visible.
Sound: Upbeat, light-hearted instrumental music begins.
Visual: Person 1, wearing a blue t-shirt with “#Poison Prevention”, sits at a kitchen table, eating leaves from a bowl.
Person 1: Is this rhubarb?
Visual: Person 2, wearing a pineapple-patterned shirt and glasses, sits at the same table, also eating leaves.
Person 2: Yeah.
Visual: Person 1 spits the rhubarb out of his mouth.
Person 1: Dude, rhubarb is poisonous.
Person 2: Get out of town.
Person 1: Yeah, the stalk is the safe part. That’s the pie part. The leaves contain soluble oxalates.
Person 2: Soluble oxalates?
Person 1: How’s your tongue?
Person 2: What?
Person 1: Rhubarb leaves are tart and sharp, and they leave a grainy sensation on your teeth. Eating them can irritate your mouth and tongue.
Person 2: Anything else?
Person 1: I mean, massive ingestion can cause abnormal heart rhythm, kidney injury, seizures, prolonged vomiting.
Person 2: Dude, am I gonna die?
Person 1: I mean, it would take far more than you would normally consume for those serious symptoms to occur.
Person 2: So, so this is fine then?
Person 1: Well, if you have any questions about poisonings, you should really call the Missouri Poison Center
Visual: A graphic overlay appears with the Missouri Poison Center logo, phone number 1-800-222-1222.
Person 1: at 1-800-222-1222.
Person 2: Cool, hey. Did you try it with the balsamic?
Visual: Person 2 lifts up a balsamic bottle and pours some on Person 1’s bowl.
Person 1: Ooh.
Visual: Person 1 takes another bite of leaves from the bowl.
