Valerian (Valeriana officinalis, also known as Garden Heliotrope and not to be confused with Red Valerian, which is Centranthus ruber) is a plant that is both an herb and an ornamental. A tall (three to five feet) perennial, it’s a great cottage garden or wild garden plant. The leaves are medium green and deeply divided, giving the plant a feathery appearance.
Blooming heavily in July and August, it pops out a few flowers here and there until the end of summer. The flowers are tiny white to pale pink things in large, airy clusters. The scent is sweet, akin to that of heliotrope, a blend of vanilla, cherry and something I can’t quite name. Highly adaptable, the plant is happy in sun or part shade. When young it requires a lot of moisture (its natural habitat is along streams and marshes) but as an adult seems to take dry soil well.
Valerian has a reputation of being hard to start from seed. I’ve hard variable luck; some years getting 80% germination, some years zero. They seem to do just fine germinating on their own outside, showing up for several feet around the parent plant. The seed does need to be exposed to light to germinate; lay the seed on the soil surface and do not allow it to dry out. The plant does not bloom its first year from seed, merely making a low rosette of leaves. It’s faster and easier to take division off an established plant if you can find one. Sometimes young plants can be found in nurseries, but not often. In small nursery pots, thse plants seem to spend most of their time wilting and needing to be watered.
When making divisions, make sure you plant the new plant firmly in the soil. The roots have a pungent smell that attracts dogs and rats (legend has it that it was valerian root in the Pied Pipers pockets that really allowed him to lead the rats out of Hamlin) and acts like catnip on cats. I’ve had young plants dug up and mauled by the furry little addicts. If the soil is loose, lay a couple of rocks around the crown of the plant to stop it from being dug.
That stinky root is the medicinal part of the plant. Harvest in fall before the first frost. Take roots of plants at least two years old and wash them well. Dry them quickly- an oven set on its lowest setting is good. They should be brittle when dry; rubbery roots are not dry enough and will mold. When dry, the root is powdered and put into capsules, or a tea can be made of it. Given the smell (which I find revolting) I’d go for the capsules. A number of studies have proved valerian to be a reliable sedative and sleep aid. Excessive use can cause headaches and even hallucinations, but it’s a very safe herb in low doses.
