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Chenopodium bonus-henricus - L.

Common Name Good King Henry
Family Chenopodiaceae
USDA hardiness 4-8
Known Hazards The leaves and seeds of all members of this genus are more or less edible. However, many of the species in this genus contain saponins, though usually in quantities too small to do any harm. Although toxic, saponins are poorly absorbed by the body and most pass straight through without any problem. They are also broken down to a large extent in the cooking process. Saponins are found in many foods, such as some beans. Saponins are much more toxic to some creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish[K]. The plants also contain some oxalic acid, which in large quantities can lock up some of the nutrients in the food. However, even considering this, they are very nutritious vegetables in reasonable quantities. Cooking the plants will reduce their content of oxalic acid. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since it can aggravate their condition[238].
Habitats Rich pastures, farmyards, roadsides etc[17].
Range Most of Europe, including Britain, north to Scandanavia, W. Asia, N. America.
Edibility Rating    (4 of 5)
Other Uses    (1 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (2 of 5)
Care (info)
Fully Hardy Moist Soil Full sun
Chenopodium bonus-henricus Good King Henry


http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Illustration_Chenopodium_bonus-henricus0.jpg
Chenopodium bonus-henricus Good King Henry
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chenopodium_bonus-henricus.JPG Chenopodium botrys

 

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Summary


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of flower
Chenopodium bonus-henricus is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in).
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to July, and the seeds ripen from June to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Wind.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

C. esculentus.

Plant Habitats

Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Flowers  Leaves  Seed  Shoots
Edible Uses:

Young leaves - raw or cooked[2, 5, 7, 9, 12, 33]. The leaves wilt quickly after picking and so they need to be used as soon after harvesting as possible[264]. They can be used as a potherb[4]. The leaves are best in spring and early summer, the older leaves become tough and bitter[200]. The raw leaves should only be eaten in small quantities, see the notes above on toxicity. Young leaves can be chopped and used as a small part of mixed salads, though we are not enamoured by their flavour[K]. The cooked leaves make an acceptable spinach substitute, but are best mixed with nicer leaves[K]. The leaves are a good source of iron[244]. Young flowering shoots - cooked[2, 27, 132, 264]. When grown on good soil, the shoots can be as thick as a pencil[4]. When about 12cm long, they are cut just under the ground, peeled and used like asparagus[183]. A very pleasant spring vegetable[K]. The plant is sometimes blanched by excluding the light in order to produce a longer and more succulent shoot, though this practice also reduces the quantity of vitamins in the shots[264, K]. Young flower buds - cooked[33, 183]. Considered to be a gourmet food[183], though they are rather small and harvesting any quantity takes quite a while[K]. Seed - ground and mixed with flour then used in making bread etc. The seed is small and fiddly but is easily harvested[K]. It should be soaked in water overnight and thoroughly rinsed before it is used in order to remove any saponins[K].

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Emollient  Laxative  Vermifuge

The herb is emollient, laxative and vermifuge[7, 154]. This remedy should not be used by people suffering from kidney complaints or rheumatism[7]. A poultice of the leaves has been used to cleanse and heal chronic sores, boils and abscesses[4, 7]. The seed is a gentle laxative that is suitable for children[7].

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

Dye

Gold/green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant[168].

Special Uses

Carbon Farming  Food Forest

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Historic Grain Crop  Management: Standard  Staple Crop: Balanced carb

Prefers a fertile humus rich soil in a sunny position[9, 16, 200]. The plant produces a better quality harvest in the summer if it is grown in light shade[264, K]. A very easily grown plant, it tolerates considerable neglect and succeeds in most soils and situations[16, 33, K]. Good King Henry was at one time frequently cultivated in the garden as a perennial vegetable, but it has fallen out of favour and is seldom grown at present[4, 46]. About thirty plants can produce a good supply of food for four people[264]. For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is a clumper with limited spread [1-2]. The root pattern is a tap root similar to a carrot going directly down [1-2].

Carbon Farming

  • Historic Grain Crop  These crops were once cultivated but have been abandoned. The reasons for abandonment may include colonization, genocide, market pressures, the arrival of superior crops from elsewhere, and so forth.
  • Management: Standard  Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.
  • Staple Crop: Balanced carb  (0-15 percent protein, 0-15 percent oil, with at least one over 5 percent). The carbohydrates are from either starch or sugar. Annuals include maize, wheat, rice, and potato. Perennials include chestnuts, carob, perennial fruits, nuts, cereals, pseudocereals, woody pods, and acorns.

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

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Plant Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Germination can be slow, but usually a high percentage will germinate[K]. These seeds germinate best at 20C. Cold stratification of up to 9 weeks at 4C prior to exposure at 20C will increase the germination rate. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant out into their permanent positions in the summer. Division in spring[200]. Very easy, larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer or following spring.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Range

EUROPE: Norway (south), Sweden (south), Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Russian Federation-European part, European part (west), Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Croatia, Italy (incl. Sicily), North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain (north), France (incl. Corsica),

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Related Plants
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Chenopodium giganteumTree SpinachAnnual2.4 4-8  LMHNM302
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Chenopodium hybridum Annual1.5 -  LMHNM211
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Chenopodium muraleNettleleaf GoosefootAnnual0.6 0-0  LMHNM201
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Chenopodium pallidicauleCañihuaAnnual0.6 -  LMHNDM301
Chenopodium polyspermumAll-Seed, Manyseed goosefootAnnual0.9 0-0  LMHNM201
Chenopodium pratericolaDesert GoosefootAnnual1.0 -  LMHNM201
Chenopodium quinoaQuinoa, Goosefoot, Pigweed, Inca WheatAnnual1.5 10-12 FLMHNM502
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Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

Expert comment

Author

L.

Botanical References

17200

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here

Readers comment

   Mon Oct 16 2006

Archaeologist Barry Cunliffe, has recently written a couple of books about the explorer Pytheas "the Greek", who travelled to Britain and Northern Europe in pre-Roman times. His book "On the Sea" seems to be one of a very few written source about Britain in ancient times. According to Cunliffe Pytheas wrote that the staple diet of the inhabitants of Britain was millet. Cunliffe goes on to say that archaeologists have identified Chenopodium seeds in British excavations. So it seems that Fat Hen (or Good King Henry) was the basis of the British diet in ancient times. Would it be possible to to date the domestication and development of Good King Henry from Fat Hen from back to the Bronze Age? And, how would the plant have been cooked? Could we reconstruct a Bronze age meal?

ali gaafar   Fri Nov 30 2007

Iam intersteng in cytogenetic studied in the genus chenopodium lso can you please send me of seeds of this genus

Pierre RICHARD   Tue Oct 6 2009

Why "good king Henry"? Which king is it related to? We, french people, like our HenriIV so much that we celebrated him thanks to his support for botanics...sounds too simp;e to be true!

david   Fri Oct 23 2009

The name has an interesting history, it had to be distinguished from a similar toxic plant called "Boser Heinrich" (Bad Henry) in Germany, the "king" was added later in England,(info from Oxford Companion to Food) it does not seem to be named after any real person.

   Dec 22 2013 12:00AM

I want to share some of my experiences and observations on the sowing of good king Henry (Chenopodium bonus henricus ) Twice I sowed it in my vegetable garden and never did I see any seedling. I heard from a friend she had the same problem too. So after these disappointing efforts to sow Good King Henry I decided to take on a different approach. I bought new seeds which I put to germinate on a wet tissue in a plastic box. This was about February 2012. This way it was more easy to spot any germinating seed. And over a period of several months some germinated. But germination percentage was very low. Every time a seed started to germinate I transplanted it to a small pot with wet turf. I used a pincer and magnifying glass. Over a few weeks I got some seedlings. I did not cover the germinating seeds with soil, just made a little hole and dropped the seed in. The seedlings in their pots I put in a milkwhite plastic box which helped to protect them. This I kept in a cool greenhouse (about 8°-13° C). Take care with ventilation to avoid moulding or overheating when sunny. Give shade if necessary and transplant to garden when possible. So finally I had about 20 plants in my garden. Above ground not big, but with a very impressive rootsystem I discovered later. But more important, they did flower and set seeds in their first year. This seeds I have sown in the same way as described above. Now I got a germination rate of about 95 percent. And it also germinated more rapidly. Seed appears to loose viability very rapidly. The remainder of the older seeds did I also sow, but without any results. I have read suggestions about scarifying the seed with a cold treatment. I tried it but with no result. Now I know what my problem was, next time I will sow directly in small sized pots.

   Apr 11 2014 12:00AM

I have a method that works 100%. Just sown surface (seed needs light) in sterile potting mix, and left it outside in freezing/chilly weather for at least a month. Then I bring indoors and it germinated readily. Then, the seedling either needs sunlight or a strong growing light, otherwise it will eventually get weak and die. This method always works for me. How about eating? Any recommendations on its processing and frequency and amount that you can eat?

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