Good King Henry Seeds Seeds Piccolo Seeds
Good King Henry Seeds — Default Title
Good King Henry Seeds Seeds Piccolo Seeds
Piccolo Seeds

Good King Henry Seeds

Perennial vegetable that crops for years from one sowing

£2.99

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Description

Key benefits

  • Perennial vegetable that crops for years from one sowing
  • Spinach-like leaves and spring shoots eaten like asparagus
  • Happy in a shady corner where other crops struggle
  • Fully hardy, about 70 cm tall in flower
  • Packet of about 100 open-pollinated seeds

Good King Henry is a perennial vegetable that crops for years from one sowing: spinach-like leaves all season and tender spring shoots you can eat like asparagus. Once a staple of cottage gardens, Blitum bonus-henricus forms a leafy clump of arrow-shaped, mid-green leaves, followed by spikes of small green flowers. Pick the young leaves to steam, wilt into butter or add raw to salads in small amounts, and cut the thick spring shoots when they are pencil thick. It is happy in a shady corner where other crops struggle, making it a good addition to a forest garden or allotment border.

Sowing and growing

  • Sow outdoors October to November, or chill the seed in the fridge for 4 to 8 weeks and sow March to May
  • Depth: about 0.5 cm, sown thinly where it is to grow
  • Germination: slow and uneven, from a few weeks to a couple of months
  • Thin to 30 to 40 cm apart
  • Position: sun or partial shade, in rich, moist soil
  • Height: about 70 cm in flower; spread 40 cm
  • Harvest: pick a few leaves in the first summer, then crop fully from the second spring
  • Lifecycle: fully hardy perennial

What you receive: a packet of about 100 open-pollinated seeds from Piccolo Seeds, with growing instructions on the back.

Good King Henry is part of our Foraging Wild Herbs seed collection. Find more unusual edibles and the full seed range.

How to use
  1. Sow outdoors October to November, or chill the seed in the fridge for 4 to 8 weeks and sow March to May.
  2. Sow thinly, about 0.5 cm deep, where it is to grow.
  3. Thin to 30 to 40 cm apart, in sun or partial shade and rich, moist soil.
  4. Pick a few leaves in the first summer, then crop fully from the second spring.
Delivery and returns

Every order is hand-packed and sent with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? You can return unused items within 14 days of delivery. See our returns policy.

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14-day returns on unused items
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Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get Good King Henry seeds to germinate?

The seed has a natural dormancy that cold breaks. Sow it outside in autumn and let winter do the work, or mix it with damp sand in the fridge for 4 to 8 weeks before a spring sowing. Expect seedlings to appear over several weeks, so sow more than you need.

What does Good King Henry taste like?

The leaves taste like a mild, slightly earthy spinach, and the spring shoots are tender and sweet when cooked briefly. Like spinach, the leaves are best cooked when eaten in quantity.

Is Good King Henry perennial?

Yes. It is a fully hardy perennial that dies back in winter and reappears each spring. A well established clump can be picked for many years with very little attention.

What is your returns policy?

Changed your mind? You can return pots, gifts, accessories and other non-plant items. Email hello@growtropicals.com with your order number within 14 days of delivery, then send the item back within 14 days of telling us. You pay the return postage.

Items must come back unused and in their original condition. If an item has been used, we may reduce your refund by the value it has lost, and for used items this can be the full price.

Live plants cannot be returned because you have changed your mind, but they are covered by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

If something arrives damaged, faulty or wrong, email us with your order number and photos and we will put it right at no cost to you. Full details are in our returns policy.

When will my order arrive and how much is shipping?

Choose your delivery speed at checkout. Express orders placed before 1pm are dispatched the same day, otherwise the next working day. Standard orders are dispatched within 2 to 3 working days and Economy orders within 4 to 5 working days. Once dispatched, every order travels by 24 hour tracked courier.

Delivery is free on orders over £60 with Economy, over £100 with Standard and over £150 with Express. Below that, the charge depends on your basket total and is always shown at checkout before you pay. The full price list is in our shipping policy.

Orders without plants are dispatched Monday to Friday. If your order also includes plants, it goes out Monday to Thursday so the plants are not left in the courier network over the weekend. Delivery can take longer at busy times such as Black Friday and Christmas.

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Packed with care

Packed with care

Every order is hand-packed in protective packaging and sent with tracked delivery, so it reaches you in one piece.

Free tracked delivery on orders over £60.

Ready to give

Ready to give

Add a gift message at checkout and we will handwrite it and pack it with your order.

Pair it with a plant for a complete gift.

Easy returns

Easy returns

Changed your mind? Send unused items back within 14 days of delivery and we will refund you.

Full details in our returns policy.

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Good King Henry Seeds
£2.99