Valerian
Valeriana officinalis
Botanical family: Caprifoliaceae (formerly Valerianaceae)
A large perennial of damp woods and streamsides (Valeriana officinalis, Caprifoliaceae), recognisable by its broad corymbs of pinkish flowers and by its root with a powerful, characteristic smell. Traditionally grown for this root; its flowers, from May to July, are visited by the bees, flies and beetles that pollinate it. Sources: Tela Botanica, “Valeriana officinalis L.” (Coste's flora); Plants For A Future, “Valeriana officinalis”.
Sun to partial shade
Cool, rich
Moist to wet soil, as in the damp meadows where it grows wild
Very hardy
Overwinters in your zone
Role in permaculture
Very nectar-bearing and medicinal, its calming root has a well-established use recognised by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for mild nervous tension and sleep. Its flowering feeds pollinators and beneficial hoverflies.
Companions
No companion planting is documented for this plant: no recommended neighbour, no neighbour to avoid.
Insects attracted or useful
Seasons & availability
Root lifted in autumn of the 2nd year; dried, it keeps all year. Pale pink flowers in early summer.
Available: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.
Guidance for the oceanic / temperate climate; it may vary with your region, altitude, exposure and growing method.
Sources
- Plants For A Future, « Valeriana officinalis » (pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Valeriana+officinalis)
- Ministère de l'Agriculture de l'Ontario, Promo-Cultures, « Valériane » (omafra.gov.on.ca/CropOp/fr/herbs/medicinal/vale.html)
Nutritional & medicinal properties
For educational purposes. Not a substitute for medical advice. Effects depend on the form, the dose and personal context.
Precautions & contraindications
Interactions with benzodiazepines, other sedatives, alcohol, and certain anaesthetics, avoid combining. Not advised for children under 12 (EMA). To be used for short courses rather than long-term consumption. No solid data in pregnancy or breastfeeding, avoid as a precaution.
In the kitchen & the apothecary
Where to find valerian in preparations: recipes and traditional herbal teas.
Infusions & herbal teas
Species & varieties
The best-known species and varieties in France.
Species
Voices of peoples
Paraphrases attributed to their documented sources. Never an invented quote.
Dioscorides and Galen (under the name 'Phu'); Anglo-Saxon medieval herbalism (nickname 'All-Heal') · Ancient Mediterranean (Dioscorides, Galen); medieval Europe; recipes of the Anglo-Saxon leechbooks, 11th century
Valerian is identified with the 'Phu' of Dioscorides and Galen, an identification that Grieve presents as supposed, a name interpreted as an exclamation of disgust at the smell of the root, and which these physicians praised as an aromatic and diuretic plant. The word valerian appears only later: it is often tied to the Latin valere, 'to be well', but that is only one reading among others. So prized in the Middle Ages that it was called All-Heal, 'heal-all', it already features in the recipes of the Anglo-Saxon herbalists, the leeches, of the 11th century.
M. Grieve, A Modern Herbal (1931), notice « Valerian » (renvoyant à Dioscoride, à Galien et aux leechbooks anglo-saxons).
In Grieve, these elements belong to tradition and hypothesis, not to established fact: the identification with Phu is given as 'supposed' and the valere etymology is only one interpretation among others (some see rather the Roman province of Valeria), hence the conditional. The nickname 'heal-all' is a fact of word-history, not a claim of efficacy: no therapeutic virtue is asserted here. The legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin luring the rats with valerian, a late folklore, is set aside.
Keep in mind
The idea that valerian 'attracts earthworms' and 'stimulates the growth' of its neighbours comes from the biodynamic tradition (preparation 507, a floral extract in low dilution). Taken up in the permaculture literature, it is not scientifically shown. To be regarded as a traditional intuition, not an established fact.
A note on rigour: many companion pairings are gardening folklore; this note sums up what the sources say, where there are any.
Before you forage
This plant is often gathered from the wild. Only pick what is abundant, never a protected species, and never uproot a whole plant (roots) without the landowner's permission. Rules vary by country and region, check locally.
Key takeaways
- • Prefers sun to partial shade exposure.
- • Ideal soil: cool, rich.