The Leaflet Collection: All 57 Plants For A Future leaflets in one convenient PDF eBook with 291 pages

12 GBP (approx $20 USD). more

Search For Plant

Searc h Page Content

Home

About Us

Forum

Blog

Links

Shop

Contact Us

Register/Login

By donating to PFAF, you can help support and expand our activities

Plant Suppliers: Click here for a List

0

Valeriana officinalis - L.
Common Name Family Synonyms
Valerian Valerianaceae Valeriana baltica Pleijel. Valeriana exaltata J.C. Mikan

Mean Green Garden Hose

Industrial strength garden hose without the weight. Made in USA
www.factorydire cth

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. Adverse effects can include: headaches (rare), giddiness, nausea, excitability & agitation, heart palpitations (rare), insomnia (rare). Do not take with other sedatives (e.g. alcohol) or before driving (or alertness required) [301]. Grassland, scrub, woods etc, on dry or damp soils[9, 17]. Avoids acid soils. Europe, including Britain but excluding the extreme north and south, temperate Asia to Japan.

c ommons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Llez

Habitats

Range

Edibility Rating
c ommons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Koeh143.jpg

Medicinal Rating

Care

Summary

Physical Characteristics

pdfcrowd.com

Valeriana officinalis is a PERENNIAL growing to 1.5 m (5ft) by 1 m (3ft 3in). It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from Jun to August, and the seeds ripen from Jul to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, flies, beetles. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Habitats
Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;

Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Seed. Edible Uses: Condiment; 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
Plants For A Future can not take any responsib ility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional b efore using a plant medicinally. Anticonvulsant; 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.

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.

Plant Suppliers: Click here for a List

You can download this page as a PDF

Expert comment

Author
L.

Botanical References
17200

Links / References
[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 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. Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants. [7]Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.

pdfcrowd.com

[9]Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. 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. A good herbal. [17]Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures. [18]Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Details of beneficial and antagonistic relationships between neighbouring plants. [20]Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Fairly good. [21]Lust. J. The Herb Book. Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book. [32]Bruce. M. E. Commonsense Compost Making. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 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. 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. A well produced and very readable book. [207]Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. A nice read, lots of information on plant uses. [218]Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China 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. 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 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. 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). 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. 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 An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world. [301]Karalliedde. L. and Gawarammana. I. Traditional Herbal Medicines A guide to the safer use of herbal medicines.

Readers comment
Elizabeth H. tarragon66 Sun May 4 2008 Agree with all the above, but be warned - it is very vigorous and can soon outgrow its space, so don't grow it in a mixed shrub or perennial border otherwise it will take over the whole bed! Jim M. Jun 24 2012 12:00AM The flowers have the most wonderful perfume I would be happy to have this plant take over!

QR Code

pdfcrowd.com

What's this? This is a QR code (short for Quick Response) which gives fast-track access to our website pages. QR Codes are barcodes that can be read by mobile phone (smartphone) cameras. This QR Code is unique to this page. All plant pages have their own unique code. For more information about QR Codes click here. 1. Copy and print the QR code to a plant label, poster, book, website, magazines, newspaper etc and even t-shirts. 2. Smartphone users scan the QR Code which automatically takes them to the webpage the QR Code came from. 3. Smartphone users quickly have information on a plant directly for the pfaf.org website on their phone.

Rate This Plant

Please rate this plants for how successful you have found it to be. You will need to be logged in to do this. Our intention is not to create a list of 'popular' plants but rather to highlight plants that may be rare and unusual and that have been found to be useful by website users. This hopefully will encourage more people to use plants that they possibly would not have considered before.

Add a comment/link
If you have important information about this plant that may help other users please add a comment or link below. Only comments or links that are felt to be directly relevant to a plant will be included. If you think a comment/link or information contained on this page is inaccurate or misleading we would welcome your feedback at admin@pfaf.org. If you have questions about a plant please use the Forum on this website as we do not have the resources to answer questions ourselves. * Please note: the comments by website users are not necessarily those held by PFAF and may give misleading or inaccurate information.

Links Name of Site URL of Site Details

To add a link to another website with useful info add the details here

Discussion Monitor
To have posts to this page mailed to you enter your email address here: (Your email address will not appear on the webpage or be passed on to third parties).

Your Address :

All the information contained in these pages is Copyright (C) Plants For A Future, 1996-2012. Plants For A Future is a charitable company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales. Charity No. 1057719, Company No. 3204567, Web Design & Management This work is lic ensed under a Creative Commons License. Some information cannot be used for c ommerc ial reasons or be modified (but some c an). Please view the c opyright link for more information.

pdfcrowd.com