Blitum bonus-henricus

Common card · No. 449248

Blitum bonus-henricus (syn. Chenopodium bonus-henricus), also called Good-King-Henry, poor-man's asparagus, perennial goosefoot, Lincolnshire spinach, Markery, English mercury, or mercury goosefoot, is a species of goosefoot which is native to much of central and southern Europe. Good-King-Henry has been grown as a vegetable in cottage gardens for hundreds of years, although this dual-purpose vegetable is now rarely grown and the species is more often considered a weed. There have been several hypotheses concerning the naming of the plant. One is that the name originates from the German “Guter Heinrich” (Good Henry) to distinguish it from “Böser Heinrich” (Bad Henry) which is a poisonous plant and refers to Mercurialis perennis. In German culture the name Henry has often been given to elves, kobolds, or household spirits and was, therefore, often integrated into the name of crops in the garden. The “King” was then added later on in English, but no clear association with any king has been...

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