Arts, Environment and the Child: Walking the Wheel of the Seasons

Plant Study

Joe Downing
Plant Study
Final Attempt

Valerian
Family Name: Valerianaceae
English Family Name: Valerian

Latin Name:  Valeriana officinalis L. 

The valerian family is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Dipsacales.  The genus comprises about 150 species .

Common Name: Valerian.  The plant is named in honor of Publius Aurelius Licinus Valerianus, who was the Roman emperor from 253-260.  The name has also been attributed to the Latin “valere” meaning “to be in health.”

Related Species:  Valeriana ciliata, Valeriana uliginosa, Valeriana pyrenaica, Valeriana sambucifolia, Valeriana sitchensis (local species) .

Body System Affiliations

Nervous system (setitive/hypnotic)

Botanical Description

Habit:  Herb, perennial
Size:  Grows to a height of four to five feet and can reach up to six and one-half feet.
Arrangement:  Opposite
Leaves:  Leaves are pinnate, opposite, and deeply divided.  The leaflets are in pairs and are lanceolate-acuminate.
Flowers:  Small pink to white flowers form clusters and bloom from June to September.
Fruit: The fruit is a capsule containing one oblong compressed seed.
Underground Parts: Roots and rhizome. The roots tend to merge into a short, conical root-stock or erect rhizome, the development of which often proceeds for several years before a flowering stem is sent up.

Ecology

Habitat: Temprate climate zones (zones 3 to 9).  Prefers a moist, rich, well-drained loam type soil with a pH range of 6 to 7. Also prefers high nitrogen content and benefits greatly from composted manure when grown domestically.   Will grow in partial shade to full sun.
Range:  Found all across the temperate zones of Europe and Northern Asia. Escaped from cultivation and naturalized from northeastern United States to New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and from Quebec to Minnesota.   There is also a species native to the Andies.
Native to where: Europe and northern Asia
Ecological Relationships:  Susceptible to diseas in the United States include powdery mildew, rusts and leaf spots.

Uses/Relationships

Medical:
Part Used:  Roots and rhizomes
Medicinal Actions: Sedative, hypnotic, antispasmodic, muscle relaxant
Indications: Anxiety, tension, insomnia, stress
Body System Associations:  Nervous system.
Constituents:  The chemical composition of valerian includes sesquiterpenes of the volatile oil (including valeric acid), iridoids (valepotriates), alkaloids, furanofuran lignans, and free amino acids such as g-aminobutyric acid (GABA), tyrosine, arginine, and glutamine. Although the sesquiterpene components of the volatile oil are believed to be responsible for most of valerian's biologic effects, it is likely that all of the active constituents of valerian act in a synergistic manner to produce a clinical response.   Research into physiologic activity of individual components has demonstrated direct sedative effects (valepotriates, valeric acid) and interaction with neurotransmitters such as GABA (valeric acid and unknown fractions).
Applications: Most commonly used to treat insomnia, anxiety and tension.  Valerian is often used as an alternative to benzodiazepines.  A potential advantage of valerian over benzodiazepines is the lack of sleepiness on awakening when used at the recommended dosages. Valerian also may be helpful in weaning patients with insomnia from benzodiazepines. The use of valerian as an anxiolytic requires further study.
Preparation: Dried herbal valerian root is soaked in one cup of hot water for 10 to 15 minutes.
Pharmacy:  The effective dosage of valerian root extract for treatment of insomnia ranges from 300 to 600 mg. An equivalent dose of dried herbal valerian root is 2 to 3 g, soaked in one cup of hot water for 10 to 15 minutes.  The product should be ingested 30 minutes to two hours before bedtime.
Cautions: There are no contraindications to valerian. Reported adverse effects of valerian are rare.

Historical:  Originally used as a perfume oil for many centuries.  Before the recent development of epilepsy medicines valerian was commonly used as an epilepsy treatment.

Propagation

Technique:  Direct seeding and through rhizome spread out.
Timing:  Seeds germinate at 65 to 68 degrees F in the spring time. Valerian is a highly affective self seeder and spreads through the rhizomes of a mother plant as well.

Harvest
Plant Part:  Roots and rhizomes
Season of Harvest:  In fall at the end of the second growing season when the aerial parts begin to die back to the ground.  Roots can also be dug in the spring before the plant bolts and flowers.
Method of Harvest: A spading fork, root digger or other hand digging tool can be used. It is recommended to cut the above ground stalk before digging. For root production, flowers are typically pinched to allow for better rhizome development.  After digging, the roots are cleaned and dried.
Ecological Considerations of Harvest:  The roots must be dug out of the ground and as a result some consideration should be given to the potential to disturb adjacent plants and to potential soil erosion after harvest.
Cultural Considerations of Harvest:
Cautions:  Roots can be difficult to dig and some caution not to strain the lower back should be taken.  Don’t strike foot with shovel or other digging tools.

Works Cited

Foster, Steven.  “Valerian.”  American Botanical Council Online.  1996.  Online at
www.herbalgram.org.

Foster, Steven.  “Medical Use of Valerian Officianlis.”  University of Maryland Medical
Center Online.  2004.  Onle at www.umm.edu/altmed/consherbs/valerianch.htm.

Greenfield, Jackie and Davis, Jeanie M.  “Medical Herb Production Guides.”  The North
Carolina Arboretum Online.  Online at
www.ncarboretum.org/Superb_Herbs/valerian.

Hadly, Susan M.D. and Petry, Judith J.  M.D.  “Valerian: Complementry and Alternitive
Medicine.”  American Family Physician, a Peer-reviewed Journal of the
American Accadamy of Family Physicians.  April 15, 2003.  Online at www.aafp.org/afp/20030415/contents.html.

McKinney, Lavinia.  “Valerian.”  Elixirfarm.com.  Online at www.elixirfarm.com.

Unknown Author.  “Questions and Answers about Valerian for Insomnia and Other Sleep
Disorders.”  National Institute of Health, Office of dietary Suplements.  May, 13,
2005.  Online at www.ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/valerian.asp#h1.

Unknown Author.  “Valerian in Botany.”  Bartlebybooks.com.  Online at
www.bartlebybooks.com.

Unknown Author.  “Valerian.”  Botanical.com.  Online at
www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/v/valeriol.html