About
Good King Henry (*Blitum bonus-henricus*, formerly *Chenopodium bonus-henricus*) is a European perennial vegetable related to spinach, forming a low mound of arrow-shaped leaves and tall flower spikes of tiny green blooms. Young shoots are eaten like asparagus; leaves are used as a cooking green. Plants spread slowly by rhizomes to form a patch 1–2 feet tall. In subtropical and tropical Americas it performs as a cool-season perennial—plant in part shade with steady moisture and harvest heavily before the steamy wet season stresses foliage. 🌞💧 **Sun and Water Requirements:** Morning sun and afternoon shade in hot climates. Rich, humusy soil that stays evenly moist but not flooded. Mulch keeps roots cool during warm months. ✂️ **Methods to Propagate:** - **Root divisions:** Split crowns in early spring or fall; replant with buds just below the surface. - **Seeds:** Sow in cool weather; germination can be slow—keep seed trays from baking in direct tropical sun. 🧑🌾 **When to Harvest:** Pick shoots when pencil-thick in spring; harvest young leaves before flowering for mildest flavor. Blanch or cook like spinach; rotate harvest across the patch to avoid weakening the stand.
Permaculture Functions
- **Edible: ** Perennial greens and blanched shoots reduce replanting labor compared to annual spinach.
- **Ground Cover: ** Low leafy canopy shades soil between taller perennials in forest-garden herb layers.
- **Dynamic Accumulator: ** Deep-ish roots mine nutrients that return when leaves are chopped and dropped.
- **Wildlife Attractor: ** Insectary flowers support tiny pollinators and predatory insects early in the season.
Practitioner Notes
- Overfertilized fast growth dilutes flavor and invites sap feeders—lean soil often tastes more like itself.
- Shear ragged mats after heat waves; two weeks of ugly beats six months of thatch rot.
- Notebook one weird year—weather anomalies repeat; memory lies, scribbles do not.
- Edge containment beats regret—runners respect metal or deep trench more than promises.
Companion Planting
- Nasturtium
- Comfrey
- Yarrow
Pest Pressure