Valeriana officinalis L.

Valeriana officinalis or valerian is a herbal plant native to Europe and parts of Asia, now also widely found in North America. Its root, whether the underground rhizome or the horizontally extending stolon, is dried and processed into tea or supplements to address insomnia thanks to its sedative effect. Valerian is also used internally to relieve menstrual pain, cramps, and hypertension, while externally it is used to treat eczema and minor wounds.

Valerian is a very easy plant to grow, succeeding in ordinary garden soil, preferring rich, heavy clay soil in a moist location. Thrives in full sun or partial shade, growing well in light woodland. Avoids acidic soil.

• Roots a taproot, brown in color.
• Stem round, soft, upright, pale green with a smooth surface.
• Leaves compound, oblong, 2-4 cm long, 1-2 cm wide, margin lobed, tip and base tapering, surface wrinkled and green.
• Flowers: compound inflorescence, cluster-shaped, cylindrical at the tip of the stem, with a green, round stalk, 5-10 cm long. Calyx pale green with a fine white and sometimes pink corolla, stamens white, with a cylindrical stalk 0.2-0.4 cm long, anthers grayish, flattened, pistil white, stalked, 0.3-0.4 cm long.
• Fruit a berry, brown, oblong.
• Seeds round, black.

• Propagated generatively using seed and vegetatively by clump division.
• Seed - sow seed in a cold frame, barely covering the seed since it needs light for germination. Plant seedlings into individual pots once large enough, planting out to permanent positions once growth is sufficient. If the plant is too small to plant out, grow on in a greenhouse or cold frame.
• Division: larger divisions can be planted directly into their permanent positions. We have found it best to plant smaller divisions and grow them on in a shaded position in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing well.

Alkaloids (actinidine, chatinine, shyanthine, valerianine, and valerine), isovaleramide, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), isovaleric acid, iridoids including valepotriates (isovaltrate and valtrate), sesquiterpenes (valerenic acid, hydroxyvalerenic acid, and acetoxyvalerenic acid), flavanones (hesperidin, 6-methylapigenin, and linarin).

Valerian is a sedative and calming remedy, especially for people suffering from nervous tension, promoting sleep, improving sleep quality, and reducing blood pressure, used internally in treating menstrual pain, cramps, hypertension, irritable bowel syndrome, addressing liver problems. Externally, used to treat eczema, boils, and minor wounds. The root has antispasmodic, carminative, diuretic, hypnotic, and stimulant properties.

Akar valerian.