Here's How to Grow Good King Henry, an Incredible Edible Perennial

Good King Henry might sound like an historical figure or perhaps a monarch in some on-screen fantasy series, but this is the name for a plant that is often used in permaculture gardens. 

Though easy to overlook and sometimes even viewed as a weed, this is a plant that I find very useful in my forest garden. So today, I thought I would write a little about what it is, why I grow it, and how you might be able to grow it in your own garden. 

What is Good King Henry?

Good King Henry, perhaps originally just good Henry, is one of the common names given to the plant Blitum bonus-henricus, which was formerly classified as Chenopodium bonus-henricus. 

Other common names for this plant include "poor man's asparagus" and "Lincolnshire spinach"—both names that tell of its various uses. Formerly, this plant was commonly used as a vegetable in parts of the British Isles and other parts of Europe. 

Originally native to parts of southern Europe, this plant is loosely related to lamb's quarters (the well-known edible weed) and to quinoa. It spread northwards from southern Europe and is believed by some to have been brought to the British Isles by the Romans. 

In the United States, it grows best in USDA Zones 4-8 and is hardy to −25 F (−31.7 C). Where Good King Henry does not grow as a perennial, it can be grown as an annual.

Why I Grow Good King Henry

The main reason that I value Good King Henry as a plant and grow it in my forest garden is for its edible yields. It provides a number of these from the early spring right through the traditional "hungry gap" when less food from the garden is typically available. 

Edible Flower Shoots

These plants have edible flower shoots, which are used as an asparagus substitute in the spring. The shoots, when they are around pencil thickness, are harvested over a few months and can be grilled or cooked in other ways exactly as you would prepare and cook asparagus. 

Edible Flower Buds

As the shoots grow and the flower buds form, these are another extremely useful edible yield. So you might not want to harvest all the shoots as an asparagus alternative. These budding shoots are boiled briefly, steamed, or stir-fried and taste much like sprouting broccoli. 

Edible Leaves

Younger leaves can also be picked and used as a mild and fairly neutral spinach substitute. While older leaves get a bit bitter over time these can still be used at any time as a cooked green—perhaps combined with others without as much bitterness. 

Edible Seeds

Finally, these plants also have edible seeds that can be collected and used as you would use quinoa, or ground to make flour. 

Not only does Good King Henry provide these edible yields, but it is also a deeper-rooted "dynamic accumulator" (meaning it gathers nutrients from the soil) and so can be beneficial when chopped and dropped within the forest garden system.

All this, and the plant takes little work. It is very low maintenance and could not be easier to grow. 

How to Grow Good King Henry

If you have a suitable spot to grow this plant and can provide the right environmental conditions, then you too may find this a very easy plant to grow in your garden. 

You can either sow the seeds indoors in spring or direct sow them outdoors, where the plants are to grow in the early summer. However, the seeds can be a little tricky to germinate successfully. A period of cold stratification can help.

You might also choose to simply purchase young plants and place these out in your garden. 

This plant likes a sunny spot, though I grow it in dappled shade below my fruit trees, and it does wonderfully there. It grows around 20 to 30 inches tall (50 to 80 centimeters), and 12 to 16 inches wide (30 to 40 centimeters). Though tolerant of a wide range of soil types, ph levels, and conditions, it will prefer fertile and humus-rich loamy soil that is relatively moisture retentive. It will do best in deep soil enriched with plenty of organic matter. 

The plant may die down a bit in the winter months but will spring into new growth readily in the spring. As long as you make sure that the growing medium remains moist throughout the year and replenish an organic mulch around the plants each spring, they require little other care and should produce happily year after year. 

I find that the Good King Henry growing in my forest garden is not troubled by any particular pests or diseases. So it is, all in all, a completely hassle-free plant to grow. 

As long as you can provide sufficient moisture throughout the summer, and a fertile soil, then it may be an interesting choice for your garden too—just one among a number of different perennial vegetable crops that you might grow.