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.

It is an annual or perennial plant growing up to 60 centimetres (24 inches) tall.

[4] The leaves are 5–10 cm (2–4 in) long and broad, triangular[4] to diamond-shaped, with a pair of broad pointed lobes near the base, with a slightly waxy, succulent texture.

Some of the new shoots can be thinned out as they appear (usually from mid-spring to early summer) and cooked like asparagus.

The succulent triangular leaves may be harvested a few at a time until the end of August and eaten raw[4] or cooked like spinach.