Good King Henry
Blitum bonus-henricus
A perennial goosefoot, historical European potherb. Shoots like a poor-man’s asparagus, leaves like spinach. Not amaranth grain.
GROW → HARVEST → EAT → DRY → POWDER → CAPSULE → GUMMY — forms are not equivalent. Food first.
Identity
What it is
A perennial goosefoot, historical European potherb. Shoots like a poor-man’s asparagus, leaves like spinach. Not amaranth grain.
Edible portions
- young shoots
- leaves
Absence of a portion from this list means it is not treated as food here — not that every other part is toxic.
Growing
- Climate. 4–8 perennial
- Light. Sun to part shade
- Soil. Rich, moist
- Planting. Slow from seed; a patch for years.
- Harvest. Shoots in spring; leaves later.
Preparation and culinary uses
- Cooked green, shoots like asparagus
Next steps
Sources
- USDA PLANTS Database — taxonomy and range (verify current entries)
- No USDA FoodData Central nutrient profile is attached here. That is not a claim that the plant contains no nutrients.
- State cooperative extension growing guides — verify for your region
Honest incompleteness is preferred to fabricated completeness. If a section is missing, no record for it is attached here — not a claim that the plant lacks that characteristic, and not that it was omitted as a secret.
Internal quality class B. Good foundation: enough unique information to exist as its own destination.