good king henry
good king henry Lexical Profile
• noun
A perennial herbaceous plant (Blitum bonus-henricus) in the amaranth family, native to central and southern Europe, which was historically cultivated as a leaf vegetable resembling spinach and valued for its edible shoots.
"The gardener dedicated a shaded patch of the vegetable plot to Good King Henry, appreciating its ability to return reliably year after year."
Word Origin & Etymology
Historically recorded in the 16th century as a translation of the botanical Latin 'bonus-henricus'. The name is thought to honor either King Henry VIII of England or King Henry IV of France, or possibly derives from a corruption of a Germanic folk name for elves or household spirits (Heinz/Heinrich) associated with beneficial plants.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.