Wakefield Museums and Castles

Not much to report this week. Carole carried out the weekly plant count. Then, Kim and Carole looked around the garden to decide what to tackle first. Not long afterwards, rain unfortunately stopped play!

Good King Henry is also known as wild spinach. It was once one of the most popular green-leaf vegetables. It was used in stews and salads. Good King Henry was found in many Tudor gardens, as well as being grown in cottage gardens, for hundreds of years. This was until spinach became popular. The young shoots were eaten the same way as asparagus.

The flower buds are usually steamed in a similar way to broccoli. The small seeds can be ground into a flour which can then be added into bread. The roots can be crushed. They taste a bit like peanut butter.

However, it is advisable to cook the plant to reduce oxalic acid levels. These can aggravate conditions like arthritis, gout and kidney stones.

The seeds should be soaked before use to remove saponins. These can cause intestinal damage or digestive irritation. 

Good King Henry produces natural yellow-green to golden-yellow dyes from its leaves, stems, and whole plant.

Historically, it was used in European textile industries to colour wool and silk.

In traditional European folklore, Good King Henry was believed to have magical powers. It was sometimes used in love spells and other rituals.

In England, Good King Henry was sometimes used as a symbol of resurrection. It was associated with Easter celebrations.

The roots were given to sheep as a remedy for cough. The seeds have been used in the manufacture of shagreen (rawhide made from tough untanned animal skin).

The plant is said to have been used in Germany for fattening poultry. It was called 'fette henne' ('fat hen').

Due to the saponin content in the seeds, Good King Henry has been used traditionally by indigenous peoples to stun fish. They would place it into streams or lakes.

Moths, such as the Dark Spinach (Pelurga comitata), and the Plain Pug (Eupithecia simpliciata), often interact with Good King Henry.

The leaves of Good King Henry were used to make a poultice or ointment. This helped to soothe, clean and heal chronic sores, wounds, boils and abscesses.

It was also used as a remedy for digestive problems, scurvy and gout. 

*As always, this isn't to be considered medical advice today. Please don't use any plants mentioned in these blogs as medicine without advice from a doctor.