Valeriana amurensis differs from Valeriana officinalis only in having glandular hairs at the upper part of the stems, inflorescence rachises, and bracts. A population study is needed to clarify if Valeriana amurensis is just a variant of the latter or a distinct species[].

Common Name:

General Information

Valeriana amurensis is a herbaceous perennial plant with a very short, almost indistinct rhizome. It produces a single, straight and stout stem, growing 80 - 150cm tall[, ].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

Some caution is advised with the use of this plant. At least one member of the genus is considered to be poisonous raw[] and V. officinalis is a powerful nervine and sedative that can become habit-forming.

Botanical References

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Range

E. Asia - Russian Far East, northeast China, Korea

Habitat

Meadows, Larix or Betula forests[]. Littoral wet and marshy meadows, herbaceous marshes, on banks of rivers and in riparian forests, shrub thickets, in wet, Siberian pine-broad-leaved and broad-leaved forests, birch and aspen groves[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in ordinary garden soil[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked. An emergency food, they are only used when all else fails[, ].

Medicinal

The roots of this valerian species are richer in essential oil than all other species of this genus that are growing in Russia. They contain 3.5% essential oil of the same composition and same pharmaceutical activity as in Valeriana officinalis. This species is considered extremely promising as a medicinal plant, quite comparable to Valeriana officinalis[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame and only just cover the seed because it requires light for germination[]. 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.