Rhubarb

Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum), related to sorrel, grows in a form typical of vegetables, but the U.S. Customs Court at Buffalo, New York, ruled in 1947 that it is a fruit, since that is how it is usually used. A hardy perennial and a pleasant harbinger of spring, the rhubarb is also called “pie plant” in the United States. American commercial production of rhubarb is concentrated in Washington, Oregon, and Michigan, but also exists in other northern states. About a quarter of the crop is sold fresh; most of the rest is frozen.