Chenopodium bonus-henricus

RHS Plant Profile

good King Henry

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Other common names

all good, blite, English mercury, false mercury, fat-hen, flowering dock, friar's pot herb, good Henry, goosefoot, Lincolnshire asparagus, mark weed, markery, mercury, mercury goosefoot, perennial goosefoot, Roman plant, shoemaker's heels, wild mercury, wild spinach

Synonyms

Chenopodium bonus-henricus

Herbs - Culinary Herbaceous Perennial

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An edible perennial with tiny yellowy green flowers and bright mid-green arrow-shaped leaves. Can be eaten raw or cooked and tasting similar to spinach. Keep picking for tasty and tender leaves, and to avoid the plant running to seed too soon

Position

Full shade, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 1 year
Max Spread: 0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height: 0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand

Moisture: Well–drained or Moist but well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full shade Partial shade

Aspect: East–facing or North–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H5

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Amaranthaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: Yes
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Columnar upright, Bushy
Genus: A genus of flowering annual or perennial herbs found in Europe, Asia, North Africa, The Americas and Australia, with green to purple triangle-shaped foliage and spikes of bright red strawberry-like fruits in summer
Name Status: Correct
Plant Range: C & S Europe (Mts)

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in any well-drained fertile soil, in a sunny or semi-shaded position. In the ideal growing conditions they can grow quite rapidly and may require staking if they become too tall

Propagation

Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Patio and container plants
Cottage and informal garden
Low Maintenance

Pruning

Harvest the leaves as required, to keep the plant compact and cropping well. Only pick lightly in the first year after planting

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free