VALERIAN (Valeriana officinalis)

Valerian is one of about 200 members of the Valerianacea family, which is widely distributed worldwide in the temperate zones. This species is native to Europe and west Asia and has naturalized in parts of North America, where it grows in damp woods, roadsides, and riversides.

The foliage of the plant is a rich dark green with each leaf segmented into 6 to 10 oppo-site lance-shaped leaflets, like a coarse fern. After the root is sufficiently developed, the plant sends up a hollow stem that reaches three to four feet. At the top, small white flowers tinged with pink bloom in early summer in a flattened cluster. One source described the smell as "somewhat peculiar, but not exactly unpleasant." I would describe it as sweet and rather heavy. It carries nicely on a breeze if you are working nearby in the garden.

Valerian has a long history as a medicinal herb and perhaps that is why it has so many names. References are first found in the 9th and 10th centuries when it was called "phu" or "fu", presumably a reference to its smelly roots (more in a bit on that). It has also been called all-heal, capon's tail, vandal root, garden heliotrope, and amantilla. It is believed that the "spikenard" described in the Bible as a perfume brought from the east refers to a species of valerian. Chaucer and other medieval writers called it "setwall" or "setewale":

Then springen herbes grete and smale,
The licoris and the setewale.
—Chaucer

Valerian roots tend to merge together into a short conical root stem, also called an erect rhizome. This root stalk, along with its attached slender roots, is the primary part used for medicinal purposes. It doesn't smell when fresh, but the dried root develops a disagreeable odor described as similar to carrion or dirty socks. As unpleasant as the smell is to humans, it is known to attract earthworms, cats, horses, and rats. Cats get frisky and supposedly will roll on a valerian plant in the garden if it has bruised leaves or a disturbed root. The root was once used to bait rat traps and it may have been the source of the legendary Pied Piper of Hamlin's power over the rats he lured to the river to drown.

For centuries, herbalists have used valerian to treat panic attacks, nervous tension, and insomnia. Today the roots are grown commercially and valerian is reported to be the most widely-used over-the-counter sedative in Europe. Historically, it was also used for a wide range of ailments including epilepsy, digestive disorders, colds, cholera, and heart palpitations. A translation of a 14th century recipe suggests an interesting use:

Men who begin to fight and when you wish to stop them, give them the
juice of Amantilla id est Valeriana and peace will be made immediately.

Culpepper, writing in 1649, praises the herb for its comforting virtues and describes it as "under the influence of Mercury", which gives it a warming characteristic. He recommends:

The root boiled with liquorice, raisons and aniseed is good for those
troubled with cough. Also, it is of special value against the plague, the
decoction thereof being drunk and the root smelled. The green herb being
bruised and applied to the head taketh away pain and prickling thereof.

Modern chemists have identified volatile oils and substances called valepotriates in the roots as the active ingredients of valerian. A recent issue of Psychology Today describes several studies of the drug's effects. One found that a combination of valerian and St. John's wort compared well with the prescription drug valium in relieving anxiety. A German study of thirty people with fibromyalgia found that immersion in a whirlpool bath containing valerian root improved their well-being and ability to sleep.

There are, of course, side effects and dangers. While some sources claim that valerian is not addictive and its effects are not exaggerated when combined with alcohol, other sources cautioned just the opposite. There are also warnings that it may cause poisoning or paralysis if taken for more than a few weeks or in too great a dose. Several sources advised not to boil the root.

See also, the March 00 Herb of the Month on Valerian.

| Herb of the Month | Prairienet Homepage |

Last updated by rauchfus@uiuc.edu