Valerian

Valeriana officinalis

Most commercial valerian is from a plant that is native to Europe, but a related species, V. sitchensis, is native to the western U.S, and is thought to have higher levels of valepotriates, and stronger medicinal activity.  However, this plant should be cultivated, not wild harvested, and is entering the market in small quantities now.  Valerian tincture was used in WWI and WWII to treat shell shock and nervous stress.  The root of valerian has a very strong odor, which apparently attracts cats, in a way similar to catnip.  According to folklore, in 18^th century apothecaries, the quality of Valerian root was determined by the way in which cats reacted to it.

Family:  Valerianaceae
Life cycle:  Herbaceous perennial (Zones 3-10)
Native:   Europe, Western Asia.  Naturalized in the northeastern N. America, where it is found in ditches, damp meadows, marshy thickets, and near stream banks.
Height:  4-5 feet (in bloom)
Sun:  Full sun, shade, prefers partial shade.
Soil:  Prefers a nutrient rich, high humus soil.  pH 6.-7.  Seems to have a high
phosphorus requirement.
Water:  Moderate to heavy.  Grows along ditches, rivers and damp woods. Can grow in soil too wet for other species.
Flowers:  Very fragrant white flowers (slightly pink), in a dense head of several stalked clusters  bloom in late spring and early summer.
Propagation:  No treatment needed for seed germination.  Seed directly in the field in early spring or start indoors to transplant in late spring.  Press into soil, do not cover, needs light to germinate.  Optimum germination temperature is 68 F. Germination occurs in 7-14 days with a rate of 60-70%.  Space 12-24 inches apart.  Seed will loose viability after the first year, so don’t save old seed.  Fresh seed reported by Frontier only 30% viable.  Another option is to take root divisions in fall or spring.  Recommended seeding rate is 2-3kg/ha (or xxx lb/A).
Pests:  Trials in Iowa reported some foliage diseases; powdery mildew (Erysiphe polygani) and peronospora (Peronospora valerianae). Other diseases encountered included adema, root rot and white
mold.  In our field trials, first year plants appeared quite healthy, but during the second year, the foliage appeared stunted, purple and yellow, and a root rot (xxx) was identified on some plants.
Harvesting:  Harvest the root in the fall of the first or second year.  Two references suggested harvesting in the 2^nd year, but another reference reported that the roots will deteriorate in quality by the fall of the second year so harvest accordingly.  Use a needle nose spade and dig when the soil is moist but not wet.Good weed control is recommended for optimizing crop yield. Cut tops prior to harvest for easier digging.  Carefully dry root with circulating air at temperatures lower than 40 C (110 F).  This are somewhat fibrous roots, and difficult to wash.
Parts used:  Root, fresh or dried.
Used as:  Infusion (tea) decoction, expressed juice from fresh
plants, tincture.  Oil is used in flavoring, pharmaceutical and fragrance industry.
Medicinal benefits:  Valerian is used as a strong sedative and pain reliever. It is approved for use in Europe to treat nervousness and insomnia, and many research studies support its effectiveness.  Also used to treat hypochondria, nervous headaches, irritability, mild spasmodic affections, depression, despondency, as well as insomnia.  Warning:  Do not use in large doses over a long time period.  Side effects include headache and palpitations.  It is not recommended that valerian be combined with other central nervous system depressants or with alcohol. 
Market potential:  High.  This is one of the top selling sedatives in Europe, and is still growing in popularity in the U.S.  However, there are large growers in this market too.  Prices range from $2.95 - $31.65.

KSU Field Trial Data - 2000-2002.  

Summary of field trial data:   Though literature values suggest potentially high yields with this crop, ranging from 1500-2500 dry lb/acre to 5 tons/A, and few pests, our experience in the field was quite different.  First year plant survival and vigor was relatively good, but observations in the spring and fall of the second year found plants that barely emerged from winter dormancy, showed severe discoloration, deformed leaves, and failed to produce much the second year.  In the field, this affected nearly all the plants, but in a garden setting, with wind breaks and more regular water, fewer plants were affected.  Field sites for year 1 plants included Wichita, Hays, Olathe and Colby, with the first 3 trials taking place in 2001, and the Colby trial in 2002.  Yields varied a lot, ranging from root dw yield of only 3.4 and 2.0 g/plant at Wichita and Hays, and 31.5 an 37.5 g/plant at Olathe and Colby, respectively.  Though Olathe was not irrigated and Colby was, the Olathe site apparently did better than Wichita and Hays due to the heavier soils and having enough rain in 2001.  A second column of data is presented in the comments section of the first table, to calculate yields and net return from the average of the better performing sites.  Even using only the best sites, per acre yield was only about 1200 lb dw.  Better yields could perhaps have been obtained the second year, if more plants had survived. 

Two valerian varieties were compared; the “standard” or common variety sold by Richters, and a named, improved variety, ‘Artener auchtung.’  Unfortunately, the named variety was only tested at one site, Hays, and this was one of the harsher sites for valerian, so the yields were disappointing.  The vigor rating and survival was better for the named variety however, so future research on this and other herbs should include as many cultivars as possible.   

Future research on valerian in Kansas should also include wetter, higher fertility sites.  Under our field conditions, each transplant receives compost, and Wichita has occasional irrigation from an overhead sprinkler system, and Colby has drip irrigation.  However, all are exposed to full sun and wind.  Symptoms in second year plants could have been due to many things, or a combination of factors.  Some of the things we suspected included winter stress (including wind desiccation of young leaves), phosphorus deficiency (leaves were quite purple), herbicide drift damage, or disease.  The only stress factor we’ve confirmed so far is the presence of a root disease, xxx, from one of the plants that died in our demonstration garden, that had been growing under fairly ideal conditions. 

Until we get better survival in the field, we do not recommend this as a crop in Kansas at this time, though it does make an attractive and fragrant addition to the home flower/herb garden.