perennial vegetable
Good King Henry
A traditional spring shoot vegetable for partial shade beds.
Growing Profile
- Hardiness
- Zones 3a-8a
- Sun
- PartialFull
- Soil
- LoamClay
- Water
- Medium
- Deer pressure
- Occasionally damaged Use as a deer browsing cue, not a guarantee; heavy deer pressure can override resistance ratings.
- Black walnut
- Mixed or uncertain Use as a black walnut / juglone planning cue; tolerance varies by cultivar, soil, and distance from the tree.
- Planting depth
- Sow 0.1-0.3 in deep
- Container min
- 1+ gal (good)
- Goals
- Vegetables & herbs
Harvest & Use
- Window
- spring shoots and summer greens
- Yield return
- 0.5-1.5 lb/plant/season
- First output
- 1-2 yrs
- Best for
- Vegetables & herbs
Harvest window: spring shoots and summer greens. Once established, the current pound-return model uses 0.5-1.5 lb/plant/season with a harvest window of 4-14 weeks.
Plant photos
What it looks like in the garden
Use these photos to compare the plant's leaves, stems, flowers, fruit, and overall habit before you buy or plant.
Photos show a representative plant in the garden. Fruit color, size, and growth habit can vary by cultivar, season, nursery stock, and site.
Photo sources: Rameshng / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Quantitative Profile
- Pound return
- 0.5-1.5 lb/plant/season
- 10-year return
- 4.3-12.8 lb/10 yrs
- Full output
- 2-4 yrs
- Mature size
- 0.8-3 ft H x 0.8-2 ft W
- Spacing
- 0.5-1.5 ft in-row x 1-3 ft rows
- Planting depth
- Sow 0.1-0.3 in deep
- Container min
- 1+ gal (good)
- Productive life
- 5-15 yrs
- Difficulty
- 2/5
- Reliability
- 4/5
- Data quality
- Medium profile, Medium yield confidence
Pound return is the stock-style yield metric. These are planning ranges for comparing plants, not guarantees. Cultivar, rootstock, climate, soil, pruning, pest pressure, and wildlife can move actual results.
Planting Checklist
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Right-size container with drainage
Containers / Before plantingUse a container large enough for mature roots, with open drainage holes to prevent root rot.
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Expanding container potting mix
Containers / Before plantingUse a lighter container medium instead of dense garden soil in pots and grow bags.
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Floating row cover
Protection / At plantingProtect young crops from wind, light frost, and early pest pressure while still letting light and water through.
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Shade cloth
Protection / Heat wavesReduce heat stress for cool-season greens, tender transplants, and containers in hot sun.
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Low tunnel hoops
Protection / At plantingHold frost cloth or insect netting above seedlings so covers protect plants without rubbing leaves.
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Soil test kit or lab mailer
Site prep / Before plantingCheck pH and baseline nutrients before adding amendments, especially for fruiting crops, native beds, and acid-loving plants.
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Plant labels
Planning / Planting dayTrack cultivar, planting date, and variety when comparing harvests or pollination partners.
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Organic mulch
Soil / After plantingHold soil moisture, suppress weeds, moderate soil temperature, and protect shallow roots.
Yield curve
Estimated Pound Return
Projected annual yield ramp from establishment to full production, using the current sourced range for Good King Henry.
- Year 1
- 0.1-0.4 lb First-year estimate from the sourced curve.
- Year 5
- 0.5-1.5 lb
- Year 10
- 0.5-1.5 lb
- 10-year total
- 4.3-12.8 lb/10 yrs
Shaded band shows the sourced low-to-high pound-yield range. The line tracks the midpoint for quick comparison.
Method: direct pound yield from crop metric source. Annual crops assume one comparable planting per year; perennial crops ramp from first bearing to full production.
Planting Strategy
- Planting depth: Sow 0.1-0.3 in deep
- Container minimum: 1+ gal (good). Small herbs, leafy crops, and radishes work in 1+ gal pots or wider shallow planters.
- Start with one plant when testing fit in a new bed or container.
- Plant more than one when harvest volume or pollination is the main goal.
Risk Factors
- Match the site first: partial, full light, loam, clay soil, and medium water.
- Use 0.5-1.5 ft in-row x 1-3 ft rows as the first spacing model; adjust for hedges, trellises, containers, or local guidance.
- Plan around mature size: 0.8-3 ft H x 0.8-2 ft W.
- For harvest planning, treat "spring shoots and summer greens" and 0.5-1.5 lb/plant/season as planning ranges, not guarantees.
- Local drainage, pests, chill hours, wildlife pressure, and microclimates can change the result.
Related Planning Guides
Comparable Plants
Sources & Methodology
This guide combines hardiness range, light, soil, water, harvest timing, traits, supplier links, plant relationships, and quantitative planning metrics. Pairings are screened for practical garden fit.
Quantitative values use extension and botanical-reference ranges where available. For less-studied cultivars, similar crops fill gaps conservatively. Ranges are intentionally broad so the profile stays useful without pretending to be exact.
Planning sources: Cornell Cooperative Extension - Recommended Spacing and Expected Yield for Garden VegetablesUniversity of Maine Extension - Planting Chart for the Home Vegetable GardenNC State Extension Gardener Plant ToolboxK-State Extension Master Gardener Handbook - Herbaceous PlantsUGA Extension - Growing Vegetables Organically
Supplier search: Amazon. Search links are not paid placements unless explicitly marked; affiliate listings may earn a commission. Last reviewed: 2026-05-31.