Rhubarb, a perennial plant known for its tart, edible stalks, is usually associated with springtime pies and crumbles. For generations, folklore has suggested that this seemingly quiet plant can actually be heard growing. This cultural question points toward a real, measurable phenomenon that is a defining characteristic of a specialized agricultural practice. Investigating this claim requires looking beyond the typical backyard garden to a specific, controlled environment where the plant’s growth is dramatically accelerated.
The Definitive Answer: The Sound of Forced Growth
The answer to whether you can hear rhubarb grow is yes, but only under unique cultivation methods known as “forcing.” This technique involves moving mature rhubarb root crowns into lightless, heated sheds during the winter. The lack of light prevents photosynthesis, causing the plant to use stored root energy to produce stalks at an extremely rapid pace in a search for illumination.
This practice is most famously associated with the Yorkshire Rhubarb Triangle in England, where traditional methods have been perfected over centuries. Inside these quiet, dark sheds, the rapid expansion of the plant structure becomes clearly audible. The sound is typically described as gentle pops, crackles, and subtle squeaks, similar to bubble wrap being pressed or a log burning. The noise is the collective sound of movement and physical friction, not the stalk stretching as once thought.
The characteristic sounds are a mix of small physical events occurring throughout the rapidly developing plant. A distinct popping noise is produced as the leaf buds forcefully split open and unfurl. The creaking and squeaking sounds come from the newly formed stalks brushing against one another as they quickly elongate, sometimes growing more than an inch daily. The forcing shed environment, free from external noise and naturally silent due to insulated walls, amplifies this gentle cacophony of growth.
The Science Behind the Sound: Rapid Cell Expansion
The mechanism driving this audible growth begins with the energy reserves the plant accumulates during its two years outdoors. Before being moved into the sheds, the rhubarb stores large amounts of carbohydrates, primarily starch, in its massive rootstock. When placed in the dark, heated environment, the plant converts this stored starch into glucose, which fuels an explosive growth spurt without sunlight.
This rapid elongation is driven by turgor pressure, the hydrostatic force exerted by the fluid-filled contents of the plant cell against its rigid cell wall. The massive influx of water and nutrients needed for the plant to grow quickly elevates this internal pressure significantly. This high turgor pressure forces the cell walls to stretch and expand quickly, allowing for the dramatic increase in size.
The sounds of popping and cracking are a physical manifestation of intense internal pressure and rapid expansion overcoming the resistance of outer plant structures. As the cells expand, the outer epidermal layer and the protective sheaths around the growing buds must yield. The resulting pops are the acoustic signature of these boundaries breaking and the new leaves and stalks bursting free into the dark space.
Natural Rhubarb Growth vs. Forced Rhubarb
The difference in audibility between forced and garden-grown rhubarb lies in the growth rate and the environment. Rhubarb grown outdoors relies on photosynthesis and seasonal changes, resulting in a much slower, steadier growth pattern. This slower rate means cellular expansion is gradual, and any resulting movements are too faint to be heard over typical ambient background noise.
The forcing process produces a fundamentally different vegetable compared to the outdoor variety. Because it grows without light, forced rhubarb retains more sugar, giving it a distinctively sweeter flavor and a more tender, less fibrous texture. In contrast, natural, sun-grown rhubarb is more tart and firm, having developed tougher, cellulose-rich cell walls through normal sun-powered growth.
The forced variety’s unique crimson color and pale leaves are a direct result of the dark conditions, as the plant does not develop the green chlorophyll required for photosynthesis. This rapid, energy-intensive growth exhausts the rootstock completely. The outdoor plant, conversely, can be harvested over a longer period and survives to grow again the following season. The sound is a byproduct of this unnatural, accelerated process designed to yield a sweeter, more delicate winter crop.