Common Name: Valerian

General Information

Valeriana capitata is a herbaceous perennial plant with a long, creeping rhizome; it produces straight, stout stems around 15 - 30cm tall, occasionally up to 65cm[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

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

Eurasia - north European Russia to Kazakhstan, east to the Russian Far East; Northwest N. America - Alaska and northwest Canada.

Habitat

Arctic zone and alpine mountain belt, on different types of tundras, on stony screes and rocks, clayey-rubbly slopes, stream banks, rivers and lakes, marshes, wet riverine meadows, willow groves and dwarf birch groves, wet and swampy forests[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.60 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Valeriana capitata is a very cold tolerant plant, growing wild in the arctic zone and the alpine mountain belt[].
Succeeds in ordinary garden soil[]. Judging by the plants native habitat, it should also succeed in wet soils[].

Edible Uses

Seed - parched[].

Root - steamed for 24 hours[].

Medicinal

The whole plant, but especially the root, is antispasmodic, carminative, diuretic, hypnotic, powerfully nervine, sedative and stimulant[]. Use with caution[].

Other Uses

The dried root has been used as an incense[].

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.