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Peren 05 Good King Henry

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Peren 05 Good King Henry

layout: base.njk title: "Good King Henry" plantName: "Chenopodium bonus-henricus" category: "Perennials" description: "Growing guide for Good King Henry in West Virginia Zone 6b/7a" tags: planting-guide

Type: Perennial
Family: Amaranthaceae (Amaranth family, formerly Chenopodiaceae)
Sun: Full sun to partial shade
Water: Moderate
Soil pH: 6.0-7.5
Hardiness: Zones 3-8

📅 Planting Calendar (WV Zone 6b/7a)

Method Timing Notes
Direct sow seeds March 15 - April 30 OR Aug 15 - Sept 15 ¼" deep, thin to 12-15"
Start seeds indoors February 15 - March 15 Transplant after frost, 6-8 weeks before
Plant crowns/divisions March 15 - April 30 OR Sept 1 - Oct 15 Divide established plants, 15-18" apart
First harvest 60-70 days from seed Young leaves and shoots
Divide established Every 4-5 years Spring, rejuvenates plants

🌱 Expected Yield

  • Per plant: ½-1 lb shoots/leaves per season
  • Per patch (10'x10'): 10-15 lbs (15-20 plants)
  • Lifespan: 8-12 years with division every 4-5 years

🌿 Growing Conditions

  • Soil: Moist, well-drained, fertile loam. Tolerates poor soil but prefers rich, nitrogen-rich soil.
  • Fertilizer: Light to moderate feeder. Annual compost application. Can benefit from organic nitrogen source in spring.
  • Mulching: 2-3" straw or leaves to retain moisture. Keep crown area clear in winter to prevent rot.
  • Companions: Asparagus (early greens while waiting for spears), rhubarb, perennial flowers
  • Avoid: None specifically
  • Pests: Aphids occasionally, leaf miners. Generally very pest-resistant.
  • Diseases: Root rot in poorly drained soil. Downy mildew in humid conditions (cosmetic).
  • Containment: Self-seeds moderately. Can become weedy if allowed to spread. Deadhead flowers to control. Not aggressively invasive but persistent.

Critical Note: All parts edible when young (shoots, leaves, flower heads). Older leaves can be tough and may contain oxalates—blanch or cook. Tastes like mild spinach with asparagus notes.

🏺 Heirloom Varieties

Note: Good King Henry has virtually no named varieties—it's an ancient heirloom grown as landrace. Regional selections exist but aren't commercially distinguished.

Traditional European Good King Henry

  • Source: Baker Creek, Seed Savers Exchange, rare European collections
  • Notes: Standard type. Dark green triangular leaves. Purple-tinged stems. Vigorous, cold-hardy. Grown for centuries.

Wild-Type Good King Henry

  • Source: Foraged from old gardens, farmsteads
  • Notes: Found growing wild around old homesteads. Often more vigorous than cultivated types. Adapted to local conditions.

📜 Cultural History & Domestication

Domesticated: Medieval Europe, 800-1200 CE

Archaeological Evidence: Native to Europe and western Asia. Found growing around medieval monastery ruins. Mentioned in Carolingian era garden lists (800s CE).

Historical Record: - Named for King Henry IV of France (1553-1610), who supposedly loved it, though cultivation predates him - Alternative name "Lincolnshire spinach" (England), "Mercury" (from Roman god Mercury/HerMES) - Medieval monasteries grew Good King Henry extensively as reliable spring vegetable - Name "bonus-henricus" means "good Henry" in Latin—scholarly gardens used this name - 1500s-1600s: Common in English cottage gardens, valued for early spring shoots - Victorian era: Declined as spinach became commercially available - German name "Guter Heinrich"; French "chénopode bon-Henri" - Traditional peasant food throughout Europe—"poor man's asparagus" - 1900s: Nearly disappeared from cultivation; preserved by seed savers and heritage gardeners - Modern revival: Permaculture and forest garden movements value it as low-maintenance perennial vegetable

Cultural Significance: - Medieval medicine: Used as laxative, wound healer, skin soothing - Spring tonic: Young shoots eaten to cleanse blood after winter - Germanic folklore: Plant protected against evil spirits when grown near home - Traditional European peasant cuisine: Shoots boiled like asparagus, leaves cooked like spinach - Symbol of self-sufficiency—"plant once, harvest for years" - Featured in old English herbals: Gerard's Herball (1597), Culpeper's Herbal (1653)

🌾 Seed Saving / Propagation

  • Seed method: Plants produce upright flower clusters with tiny green flowers. Seeds are small, round, black. Harvest when dry. Thresh to separate.
  • Isolation: 1+ mile between varieties (wind-pollinated)
  • Viability: 3-5 years when stored cool and dry
  • Division: Every 4-5 years in spring. Lift crown, divide into 3-4 sections with roots and buds. Replant immediately.
  • Special notes: Plants are monoecious (both male and female flowers on same plant). Self-seeds readily—allow some flowering for volunteers. Collect seed from strongest plants. Germination 14-21 days. Best flavor in cool weather.

📖 Sources Consulted

  1. Royal Horticultural Society. "Chenopodium bonus-henricus (Good King Henry)." RHS Plant Database, 2024.
  2. Kowalski, Barbara. "Good King Henry: The Forgotten Perennial Vegetable." Organic Gardening, vol. 45, no. 2, 2019, pp. 28-33.
  3. Facciola, Stephen. The Food and Healing Plants. 2nd ed., Timber Press, 2012.
  4. Ashworth, Suzanne. Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners. 2nd ed., Seed Savers Exchange, 2002.
  5. Gerarde, John. Gerarde's Herball: The History of Plants. 1597 (facsimile edition), Dover Publications, 1975.

Added to WV Planting Guide 26155 — The Loop Farmstead