Valerian

PEI has various species of tall, white-flowered plants growing in our roadside ditches. Many are members of the Carrot Family (Apiaceae), and I’ve posted before about the edible Wild Carrot and Wild Chervil, as well as the toxic Water Hemlock. Today, it’s a plant in a family all its own (Valerianaceae): the medicinal Common Valerian (Valeriana officinalis). 

Photo: Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is common along PEI roadsides (left photo), and has distinctive flowers (top right) and leaves (bottom right).

Valerian was introduced to North America from Europe in the late 1800s and has been growing wild on the Island since at least the early 1950s. In my opinion, it’s become much more common here in recent years. 

As a biology student in the early 1990s, I remember the first time I saw Valerian – not here on PEI, but while attending a conference in Sackville, New Brunswick (which is still a hotbed for this plant). A few years later, I noticed it popping up along Route 2 in Miscouche, (left photo, taken earlier this month). More recently, I’ve been seeing smaller populations all over PEI, and nearly 90 locations of Valerian have been documented from O’Leary to East Point.

From a distance, Valerian can resemble some members of the Carrot Family, but up close it’s distinctive. Plants are up to 1.5 metres (five feet) tall, topped with clusters of five-petalled white or pinkish-white flowers (top right photo). Those flowers have a strong and distinctive scent, which I don’t care for at all – a person on one of my plant walks said it smelled like diapers! Leaves are opposite and each one is divided into many leaflets, giving it a ladder-like appearance (bottom right photo).

While this plant is sometimes grown as an ornamental, it’s more often valued for relieving anxiety and insomnia, medicinal uses that date back thousands of years. In modern times, Valerian root was used to treat soldiers suffering from “shell shock” (post-traumatic stress) in World War I, helped civilians with the stress of air raids in World War II England, and is commercially available today.

Modern clinical trials have supported claims that Valerian root can reduce the time it takes to fall asleep, improve sleep quality, and reduce anxiety. Research is ongoing, looking not only at these benefits but also potential uses related to pain relief, control of seizures, and support of heart and brain health.

As an aside, your cat may also appreciate the effects of Valerian root! Many react to it the same way they would to catnip, including cats that don’t care for catnip. While Valerian is safe for cats, you may need to lock up your stash to protect it from feline friends.

If you’re collecting local Valerian for your own use, be extra-careful on identification. Some of the most toxic plants in North America – including Spotted Water-hemlock (Cicuta maculata) and Bulbous Water-hemlock (Cicuta bulbifera) – grow alongside it in certain parts of PEI. And, of course, it’s always wise to check with a health care provider before adding any natural remedy to your regimen.

While Valerian can be a useful medicinal plant, it is also an invasive species that spreads aggressively by both seeds and roots; I don’t recommend adding it to your garden. Even without help, I predict it will be turning up more and more around the Island in future years. Pulling plants before they set seed can be an effective way to control or eliminate existing populations.

Though it’s invasive, Valerian is one of the many proven medicinal plants that are part of PEI Untamed!