Good King Henry (Blitum bonus-henricus)
Flowers: May to July. Height: 60cm (24in).
Good King Henry comes from the German Guter Heinrich (Good Henry) to distinguish it from Böser Heinrich (Bad Henry) a name for the poisonous plant Mercurialis perennis. Native to Southern Europe, it was brought to Britain by the Romans.
Medicinal: A poultice or ointment made from the leaves was used to soothe, clean and heal chronic sores, wounds, boils and abscesses. It was also used as a remedy for digestive problems.
Culinary: Known as Wild Spinach it was once one of the favoured green leaf vegetables, used in stews and salads, and featured in many Tudor gardens as well as being grown in cottage gardens for hundreds of years before spinach grew in popularity. Also called Poor-man’s Asparagus, the young shoots were eaten the same way as asparagus.
