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Valeriana officinalis
| Common name: |
Valerian |
Family: |
Valerianaceae |
| Author: |
L. |
Botanical references: |
17, 200 |
| Synonyms: |
|
| Known Hazards: |
It is said that prolonged medicinal use of this plant can lead to addiction[9]. A course of treatment should not exceed 3 months. |
| Range: |
Europe, including Britain but excluding the extreme north and south, temperate Asia to Japan. |
| Habitat: |
Grassland, scrub, woods etc, on dry or damp soils[9, 17]. Avoids acid soils. |
| Edibility Rating (1-5): |
3 | Medicinal Rating (1-5): | 3 |
| Other Possible Synonyms: | From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below. |
| V. sylvestris[H]
|
| Other Common Names: | From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below. |
| All-heal [H], Allheal [B], Common Valerian [MS,L], Echte Valeriaan [D], European Valerian [S], Garden Heliotrope [H,L], Garden Valerian [P], Kediotu [E], Phu [H], Seiyo-Kanoko-So [E], Valerian [H,E], Valerian, European [S], Valeriana [E], |
| Epithets: | From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets |
|
officinalis = sold as an herb
|
| Systematics: | From a USDA Plants Database |
|
Order: Dipsacales. Valerian family
|
| Other Range Info: |
From the Ethnobotany Database |
|
China
Europe Germany Spain Turkey
|
| Noxious, Invasive and Injurious Weeds | From USDA PLANTS database, Weeds Australia
, DEFRA Injurious Weeds | | Listed as noxious/invasive for: USA Invasive. |
Physical Characteristics
Perennial growing to 1.5m by 1m . It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from June to August, and the seeds ripen from July to September. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, flies and beetles.
We rate it 3/5 for edibility and
3/5 for medicinal use.
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils.
The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils.
It cannot grow in the shade.
It requires moist soil.
Habitats and Possible Locations
Woodland, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade.Edible Uses
Condiment
Seed Tea.
Seed[172]. No further details are given but the seeds of other members
of this genus are parched and then eaten.
An essential oil from the leaves and root is used as a flavouring in ice
cream, baked goods, condiments etc[183]. It is especially important in apple
flavours[238]. The leaves can also be used as a condiment[61].
The plant is used in moderation as a herbal tea[183].
Medicinal Uses
Disclaimer
Antispasmodic
Carminative Diuretic Hypnotic Nervine Sedative Stimulant.
Valerian is a well-known and frequently used medicinal herb that has a
long and proven history of efficacy. It is noted especially for its effect as
a tranquilliser and nervine, particularly for those people suffering from
nervous overstrain[4, 222]. Valerian has been shown to encourage sleep,
improve sleep quality and reduce blood pressure[254]. It is also used
internally in the treatment of painful menstruation, cramps, hypertension,
irritable bowel syndrome etc[238, 254]. It should not be prescribed for
patients with liver problems[238]. Externally, it is used to treat eczema,
ulcers and minor injuries[238].
The root is antispasmodic, carminative, diuretic, hypnotic, powerfully
nervine, sedative and stimulant[4, 7, 9, 14, 21, 46, 147, 165, 192, 218]. The
active ingredients are called valepotriates, research has confirmed that
these have a calming effect on agitated people, but are also a stimulant in
cases of fatigue[222]. The roots of 2 year old plants are harvested in the
autumn once the leaves have died down and are used fresh or dried[4, 9, 238].
The fresh root is about 3 times as effective as roots dried at 40° (the
report does not specify if this is centigrade or fahrenheit), whilst
temperatures above 82° destroy the active principle in the root[240]. Use
with caution[21, 238], see the notes above on toxicity. We have a more details factsheet on the history and medicinal use of this plant. Email webmaster@pfaf.org for details.
Other Uses
Compost
Essential Liquid feed Repellent.
The plant yields about 1% of an essential oil from the roots[7, 238].
It is used in perfumery to provide a 'mossy' aroma[57, 61, 238], though the
scent is considered to be disagreeable by many people[207]. The dried roots
are also placed in linen cupboards and clothes drawers in order to scent the
clothes[4].
The dried root attracts rats and cats, it can be used as a bait to lure them
away from other areas[100].
An ingredient of 'QR' herbal compost activator[32]. This is a dried and
powdered mixture of several herbs that can be added to a compost heap in
order to speed up bacterial activity and thus shorten the time needed to make
the compost[K]. The plant can also be used to make a very good liquid plant
feed[14, 18, 201]. It attracts earthworms[14, 18]. The leaves are very rich
in phosphorus[201].
Cultivation details
A very easily grown plant, it succeeds in ordinary garden soil[1],
preferring a rich heavy loam in a moist site[4, 7, 17]. Thrives in full sun
or in partial shade[233], doing well in light woodland.
A polymorphic species, the more extreme variations are given specific status
by some botanists[17].
Valerian is often grown in the herb garden and also sometimes grown
commercially as a medicinal herb[1, 200]. When grown for its medicinal root,
the plant should not be allowed to flower[4].
The flowers and the dried roots have a strong smell somewhat resembling
stale perspiration[245].
Cats are very fond of this plant, particularly the powdered root[1, 4, 20].
Once a cat has discovered a plant they will often destroy it by constantly
rolling over it[4].The dried root also attracts rats and can be used as a
bait in traps[4, 14].
A good companion for most plants.
Propagation
Seed - sow spring in a cold frame and only just cover the seed because
it requires light for germination[200]. Prick out the seedlings into
individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant out into their
permanent positions in the summer if sufficient growth has been made. If the
plants are too small to plant out, grow them on in the greenhouse or frame
for their first winter and plant them out early in the following summer.
Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their
permanent positions. We have found that it is best to pot up smaller
divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until
they are growing away well. Plant them out in the summer or the following
spring.
Scent
-
Flowers: Fresh
- The flowers have a strong smell somewhat resembling stale perspiration[240].
-
Root: Dried
- The dried root has a strong smell somewhat resembling stale perspiration[245].
Suppliers
For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.
Web References
- Details of Medicinal Uses, Habitats, etc. in M. Grieve A Modern Herbal (1931) [4]
- [H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
- [E] Ethnobotany Data
(common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
- [V] Images
from the Vascular Plant Image Gallery of the Texas A& M Bioinformatics Working Group.
- [B] Data
(Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
- [S] Illustration
from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
- [S] Image
from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
- [S] Illustration
from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
- [PHARM] Phytochemical Data
(common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
- [G] Data
(Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
- [P] Data.
(uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
- [HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database
References for valeriana officinalis (a possible synonym).
References for the family Valerianaceae.
See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.
Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.
[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
[7] Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5
Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.
[9] Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981 ISBN 0-600-37216-2
Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.
[14] Holtom. J. and Hylton. W. Complete Guide to Herbs. Rodale Press 1979 ISBN 0-87857-262-7
A good herbal.
[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
[18] Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979
Details of beneficial and antagonistic relationships between neighbouring plants.
[20] Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978 ISBN 0-88266-064-0
Fairly good.
[21] Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983 ISBN 0-553-23827-2
Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.
[32] Bruce. M. E. Commonsense Compost Making. Faber 1977 ISBN 0-571-09990-4
Excellent little booklet dealing with how to make compost by using herbs to activate the heap. Gives full details of the herbs that are used.
[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
[57] Schery. R. W. Plants for Man.
Fairly readable but not very comprehensive. Deals with plants from around the world.
[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
[100] Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press 1969 ISBN 0192176218
An excellent and well illustrated pocket guide for those with very large pockets. Also gives some details on plant uses.
[147] ? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X
A very readable herbal from China, combining some modern methods with traditional chinese methods.
[165] Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
An excellent small herbal.
[172] Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.
A nice guide to some useful plants in that area.
[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
[192] Emboden. W. Narcotic Plants Studio Vista 1979 ISBN 0-289-70864-8
A lot of details about the history, chemistry and use of narcotic plants, including hallucinogens, stimulants, inebriants and hypnotics.
[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[201] Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. 1993 ISBN 0-304-34324-2
A well produced and very readable book.
[207] Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. 1993 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6
A nice read, lots of information on plant uses.
[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
[222] Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990 ISBN 0395467225
A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.
[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
[240] Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.
[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.
Readers Comments
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Bibliography
Plant information taken from the
Plants For A Future -
Species Database.
Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963 This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Valeriana+officinalis
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