Everything about Chenopodium Bonus-henricus totally explained
Good King Henry (
Chenopodium bonus-henricus), also called
poor-man's asparagus,
Lincolnshire Spinach,
markery(External Link
) is a species of
goosefoot which is native to much of central and southern
Europe.
Good King Henry has been grown as a
vegetable in cottage
gardens for hundreds of years, although this dual-purpose vegetable is now rarely grown and the species is more often considered a
weed.
Appearance
It is an
annual or
perennial plant growing up to 40–80 cm high. The
leaves are 5-10 cm long and broad, triangular to diamond-shaped, with a pair of broad pointed lobes near the base, with a slightly waxy, succulent texture. The
flowers are produced in a tall, nearly leafless spike 10–30 cm long; each flower is very small (3–5 mm diameter), green, with five sepals. The
seeds are reddish-green, 2–3 mm diameter.
Cultivation and uses
It should be planted in a fertile, sunny spot which is free from perennial
weeds. Seeds should be sown in April in drills 1 cm deep and 50 cm apart. The
seedlings should then be thinned to 10–20 cm. The plants should be regularly
weeded and well watered. Typically, very little is produced in the first season. Good King Henry doesn't respond well to
transplantation.
The
foliage can be cut in autumn, and a mulch, such as
leaf mould or well-rotted
compost applied to the plot.
Culinary uses
Cropping can begin in spring. Some of the new shoots can be cut as they appear (usually from mid spring to early summer) and cooked like
asparagus. All cutting should then cease so that
shoots are allowed to develop. The succulent triangular leaves may be harvested a few at a time until the end of August and cooked like
spinach.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Chenopodium Bonus-henricus'.
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