Step into the gardens of the Middle Ages, where humble herbs sustained both peasant and king. Good King Henry was once a staple of every cottage plot, a perennial “poor man’s asparagus” whose young shoots, tender leaves, and flower buds served as spring’s first greens after a long winter.
 
This resilient heirloom has been grown in European kitchen gardens since the 16th century, valued for its flavor, its hardiness, and its loyalty, returning year after year without replanting. The leaves cook like spinach, the shoots taste like mild asparagus, and the flowers feed bees when little else is in bloom.
 
Tough, drought-tolerant, and rich in iron, this is a true survivor’s plant, a symbol of self-sufficiency from an age when every seed mattered.
 
Botanical name: Blitum bonus-henricus (formerly and synonymous with Chenopodium bonus-henricus)
 
Type: Perennial herb / vegetable
Zones: 4–9
Height: 12–24 in.
Sun: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Tolerant of poor soils; prefers well-drained loam
Germination: 14–28 days; cold stratification improves results
Harvest: Snip young leaves or shoots as needed once established
A living relic of medieval gardens, earthy, enduring, and noble in name and nature.
 
This is for 50 seeds. 
 
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