Good King Henry (Chenopodium bonus-henricus)
Native to much of central and southern Europe, this herb dates back to Neolithic times. At one time, Good King Henry was widely cultivated as a salad and can still be found around villages, and old gardens, ruins, churchyards, farmhouses and pastures.
Although popular in medieval Britain, this plant was not named after Henry VIII. The specific epithet, bonus-henricus, derives from the central-European heathen fairy ‘Guter Heinrich’, rather than from the king of England.
It has many common names, including markery, English mercury, mercury goosefoot, perennial goosefoot, red goosefoot, spear-leaved orache, prickly saltwort, fat ten and shoemakers' heels.
Good King Henry starts to mature very early on in the year. From April to June, you can harvest the growing shoots (cook and eat like asparagus). After June leave the shoots to develop, and eat the succulent young leaves and flowering stems in salads or cooked like spinach. More mature flowers can be sautéed in butter. Seed can even be ground and mixed with flour then used in making bread. The seed is small but is easily harvested (It should be soaked in water overnight and thoroughly rinsed).
Germination can be slow and erratic. Some seeds may germinate within a week or so, but others can take more than a month. Two or three mature plants is enough for the needs of a family, so there should be more than enough for success in the packet you receive.
Sow directly in spring-summer: just cover seed with a little soil; keep moist at all times, do not transplant, and keep weed free.
Plants are slow growing in the 1st season - keep hoed and harvest only a few leaves. A full harvest possible in the 2nd year.