Common Name: Alpine Valerian

General Information

Valeriana celtica is a herbaceous perennial plant with a rhizot can grow up to 0.25 metres tall.
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

Europe - Alpine regions of France, Switzerland Italy and Austria.

Habitat

Alpine pastures; at elevations from 1,800 - 2,800 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.25 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in ordinary garden soil[]. A calcifuge plant, it requires an acid soil[, ].
The roots are sweetly scented, the aroma resembling chamomile and patchouli[]. The root used to be exported for use in perfumery etc[].
Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

Edible Uses

Root. An aromatic flavour[, ].

Medicinal

The whole plant, but especially the root, is nervine[].

Other Uses

The roots are added to bath water to make it aromatic[, ].
An essential oil from the roots has a powerful aroma resembling chamomile and patchouli[].

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.