Good King Henry

Good King Henry aka Lincolnshire spinach or poor man’s asparagus (Chenopodium bonus-henricus synonym Blitum bonus-henricus) is a perennial herb that is hardy in USDA zones 3-9. It is native to temperate Europe. In England Good King Henry is also known as mercury, which is not to be confused with annual mercury which is an entirely different herb.

The tender shoots of Good King Henry can be cooked like asparagus. The young leaves are consumed in omelets and boiled in soups. Older leaves are less desirable due to increasing concentrations of saponins, which taste like soap, and oxalic acid. Like fat hen and orach, Good King Henry is a pot herb that declined in popularity when spinach became more widely available in western Europe; but it has recently become fashionable again. A patch of Good King Henry can occupy a significant space, so this herb is frequently grown in slightly less desirable portions of a garden including in partial shade.

In traditional medicine Good King Henry is topically applied for treating skin inflammation such as that caused by stinging nettles.

Good King Henry is available as young plants from some herb venders in the US, and seeds are sold on-line. Growing from seeds requires stratification, and it is not always successful; so the purchase of young plants is suggested.

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