Fat hen or henbane? These are both plants; fat hen is perfectly edible, “You can use the leaves in salads like spinach, make tea and eat the roots,” said Mr Worrall Thompson; while “henbane is a very toxic plant and should never be eaten”, an urgent warning issued by Healthy & Organic Living magazine’s website.

Henbane – Hyoscyamus niger – has sticky serrated leaves, yellow, funnel-shaped flowers and a stale scent.

The weed’s name has Anglo-Saxon origins – meaning killer of hens – and it can cause drowsiness, hallucinations and disorientation in humans. Larger quantities can cause a loss of consciousness, seizures, trembling of the limbs and, in extreme cases, death. “Henbane is associated with lots of mythical tales – it’s said…

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