Good King Henry (Blitum bonus-henricus) pack of 200 seeds
£2.49
SOW IN AUTUMN, WINTER OR EARLY SPRING
A hardy herbaceous resilient perennial green vegetable which can be used as a substitute for spinach.
80 in stock
Description
Good King Henry (Blitum bonus-henricus) is a wonderful edible herbaceous perennial that produces deep green spinach like leaves. It is native to many areas of central and southern Europe and has naturalised in other temperate regions. A very useful hardy plant that has been used as a green vegetable for centuries. It’s an essential part of any perennial vegetable garden. Young leaves can be harvested from early spring to mid summer. Young unopened flowering shoots can also be picked in summer and cooked like asparagus.
About
Good King Henry is also called English mercury or just mercury (sometimes ‘markery’ in Lincolnshire) It is also known as Lincolnshire spinach, all-good, poor-man’s asparagus, perennial goosefoot, and mercury goosefoot. There is some evidence that it has probably been in continuous use in Britain from Medieval times. Although its popularity died out in the last century its use is still within the living memory of communities especially in Lincolnshire. It makes a fantastic addition to any perennial vegetable garden and also supports many insects especially moths.
How to grow
SOW AUTUMN WINTER OR EARLY SPRING Good King Henry can be grown from seed and mature plants can also be divided. To grow from seed it is best to try a few different methods as seed can be erratic to germinate.
Reliable but finicky germinator, don’t give up! Sow seeds in autumn, winter or early spring. Surface sow and place where temperatures fluctuate (usually outdoors or in a cold frame) then keep damp and wait patiently. Starting many plants in a large pot outdoors is a good method. Seedlings can be pricked out once they are big enough to handle or left to grow until early fall, then planted out.
It is fairly unfussy about soils but prefers nitrogen-rich, fairly well-drained soil. Ours grow well in a spot that has part sun, part dappled shade during the day. Plants can grow up to 1m tall and need a spacing of about 60cm. Plants die right back in autumn and new shoots emerge very early in the new year. These are some of the most resilient plants we grow, free of pests and diseases and survivors of drought and freezing temperatures. Hardy down to about -20 degrees C.
Harvesting and eating
Harvest the young leaves from early spring to mid-summer and the young unopened flowering shoots from mid-spring to early summer and cook like asparagus. Use as spinach in any dish. Leaves can be steeped in salt water for 30 mins and then rinsed before cooking. They can be steamed, sautéed, stir fried and taste great in spiced dishes. Some people complain that the leaves are too bitter for them, but given the right treatment they can be a very tasty source of abundant greens. You can cut the plants back in the summer to get a flush of new growth. Interesting research is being done into Good King Henry seed as a potential perennial grain crop, harvesting it in a similar way to Quinoa.
