View source for Valerian (herb)

{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}
{{cs1 config|name-list-style=vanc}}
{{Other uses|Valerian (disambiguation)}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Valeriana officinalis inflorescence - Niitvälja.jpg
| image_caption = [[Inflorescence]]
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="IUCN">{{cite journal | title=Common Valerian ''Valeriana officinalis'' | journal=IUCN Red List of Threatened Species | date=2012-07-04 | url=https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/201537/2708339 | access-date=2025-08-24 | page=}}</ref>
| genus = Valeriana
| species = officinalis
| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]
}}

'''Valerian''' ('''''Valeriana officinalis''''') is a [[herbaceous]] [[perennial]] flowering plant in the family [[Caprifoliaceae]], native to Europe and southwestern Asia.<ref name="IUCN"/><ref name="POWO">{{cite web | title=''Valeriana officinalis'' L. | website=Plants of the World Online | date=2005-07-03 | url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:860012-1 | access-date=2025-08-24}}</ref> It is the [[type species]] of the genus ''[[Valeriana]]''.<ref name="IPNI">{{cite web | title=''Valeriana'' | website=International Plant Names Index | date=1913-06-07 | url=https://www.ipni.org/n/30000719-2 | access-date=2025-08-24}}</ref>

== Description ==
[[File:Valeriana officinalis_-_Niitvälja.jpg|right|thumb|flowerhead and leaves]]
It grows up to {{cvt|1.5|m|ft|0}} tall, rarely to {{cvt|2|m|ft|0}}. The stems are erect, usually unbranched, with pinnately divided [[leaf|leaves]] up to 20&nbsp;cm long, the leaflets with irregularly toothed to toothless margins. The flowers are produced from June to August, and are 2.5–5&nbsp;mm diameter with a five-lobed corolla, sweetly scented, pale pink, occasionally white, grouped in both compound and secondary [[Umbel|clusters]].<ref name="Streeter">{{cite book | last=Streeter | first=David | title=Flower Guide | publisher=Collins | publication-place=London | date=2010 | isbn=978-0-00-718389-0 | page=454}}</ref><ref name="Blamey">{{cite book | last1=Blamey | first1=Marjorie | last2=Grey-Wilson | first2=Christopher | title=The Illustrated Flora of Britain and Northern Europe | publisher=Hodder & Stoughton | publication-place=London | date=1989 | isbn=0-340-40170-2 | page=}}</ref><ref name="tfb">{{Cite book |last=Francis-Baker |first=Tiffany |title=Concise Foraging Guide |date=2021 |publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing|Bloomsbury]] |isbn=978-1-4729-8474-6 |series=[[The Wildlife Trusts]] |location=London |page=79}}</ref>

==Subspecies==
Three [[subspecies]] are accepted by the [[Plants of the World Online]] (POWO) database:<ref name="POWO"/>
*''Valeriana officinalis'' subsp. ''officinalis'' — throughout most of the range
*''Valeriana officinalis'' subsp. ''nemorensis'' (B.Turk) F.Martini & Soldano — Italy, northwest Balkans
*''Valeriana officinalis'' subsp. ''tenuifolia'' (Vahl) Schübl. & G.Martens — central and northern Europe
Two other subspecies, not distinguished by POWO, are accepted by some other authors:<ref name="PlantAtlas">{{cite web | title=Common Valerian ''Valeriana officinalis'' L. | website=PlantAtlas | url=https://plantatlas2020.org/atlas/2cd4p9h.fz9 | access-date=2025-08-25}}</ref>
*''Valeriana officinalis'' subsp. ''collina'' — on dry chalk soils
*''Valeriana officinalis'' subsp. ''sambucifolia'' — on wetter marshy sites

== Distribution and habitat ==
It is native from Iceland south to Portugal, north to central Scandinavia, east to European Russia, and southeast to Iran.<ref name="IUCN"/><ref name="POWO"/> and typically occurs in wet and dry meadows, wet woodlands, and marshes;<ref name="Streeter"/><ref name="Blamey"/> plants adapted to drier chalk grassland soils are sometimes distinguished as ''V. o.'' subsp. ''collina''.<ref name="PlantAtlas"/>

== Ecology ==
The flowers attract many fly species, especially [[hoverfly|hoverflies]] of the genus ''[[Eristalis]]''.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Van Der Kooi |first1=C. J. |last2=Pen |first2=I. |last3=Staal |first3=M. |last4=Stavenga |first4=D. G. |last5=Elzenga |first5=J. T. M. |year=2015 |title=Competition for pollinators and intra-communal spectral dissimilarity of flowers |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273158762 |url-status=live |journal=Plant Biology |volume=18 |issue=1 |pages=56–62 |doi=10.1111/plb.12328 |pmid=25754608 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929075730/https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Casper_Van_Der_Kooi/publication/273158762_Competition_for_pollinators_and_intracommunal_spectral_dissimilarity_of_flowers/links/553122910cf2f2a588ace06c.pdf?origin=publication_detail&ev=pub_int_prw_xdl&msrp=156o8z3LbHGvSYKAR%2BxM7a0%2BD7zBXCIlIRZA4sCK%2FwDY4dQUizWow4itk77Rb0zcqcye6%2BGxNrJpPjT%2F6rYpOE0YD5myTyQp7ORfnfI5DfU%3D_aoupfL8XxKQD0uLWnjpkK5W0d3LW8onR1q4bPYB94Oj3S4rNfG9H3VEZaoDog5H1K3yCHsSHJ6P3kIO1KHSbvQ%3D%3D&inViewer=1 |archive-date=2015-09-29}}</ref> The plant is consumed as food by the [[larva]]e of some [[Lepidoptera]] (butterfly and moth) species, including the [[grey pug]].

=== As an invasive species ===
Valerian is considered an [[invasive species]] in many locations outside its natural range, including the US state of [[Connecticut]] where it is officially banned,<ref>{{cite web |title=USDA PLANTS Database – Connecticut State-listed Noxious Weeds |url=https://plants.usda.gov/java/noxious?rptType=State&statefips=09 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626215328/http://plants.usda.gov/java/noxious?rptType=State&statefips=09 |archive-date=2014-06-26}}</ref> and in [[New Brunswick]], Canada, where it is listed as a plant of concern.<ref>{{cite book |author=New Brunswick Invasive Species Council |url=http://nbisc.ca/images/field_guide_en.pdf |title=Field Guide to 12 Invasive Plants of Concern in New Brunswick |year=2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131026172515/http://nbisc.ca/images/field_guide_en.pdf |archive-date=2013-10-26 |url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref>

==Names==
The name of the herb is derived from the personal name ''[[Valeria (gens)|Valeria]]'' and the Latin verb {{Lang|la|valere}} (to be strong, healthy).<ref>{{OEtymD|valerian}}</ref><ref>[http://www.latin-dictionary.net/definition/38320/valeo-valere-valui-valitus Latin definition for: valeo, valere, valui, valitus] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140328051611/http://www.latin-dictionary.net/definition/38320/valeo-valere-valui-valitus |date=2014-03-28 }}. latin-dictionary.net</ref> Other names used for this plant include '''garden valerian''' (to distinguish it from other ''Valeriana'' species), '''garden heliotrope''' (although not related to ''[[Heliotropium]]''), '''setwall''' (though this originally meant [[zedoary]], from which it is etymologically derived) and '''all-heal''' (which is also used for plants in the genus ''[[Stachys]]'').<ref name="drugs">{{cite web |date=9 June 2022 |title=Valerian |url=https://www.drugs.com/npp/valerian.html |access-date=22 July 2022 |publisher=Drugs.com}}</ref> ''[[Valeriana phu]]'' is also known as garden valerian.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Hooper |first1=Robert |author-link=Robert Hooper (physician) |date=1848 |title=Lexicon Medicum; or, Medical Dictionary 8th ed |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BRw2QPc5f1MC&pg=PP7 |language=en |location=London |publisher=Longman, Brown, Green etc. |page=[https://books.google.de/books?id=BRw2QPc5f1MC&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&hl=de&pg=PA1335#v=onepage&q&f=false 1335]}}</ref> ''[[Valeriana rubra]]'', red valerian, often grown in gardens, is also sometimes referred to as "valerian", but is a different species. Valerian is also called '''cat's love''' due to its [[catnip]]-like effects.<ref name="drugs" />

==Uses==
Crude [[Extract|extracts]] of valerian root may have [[sedative]] and [[anxiolytic]] effects; however, evidence for this is mixed and debated. It is commonly sold as a [[dietary supplement]] to promote sleep. A dry ethanol extract of valerian root has been recognised as a medicine for adults with mild symptoms by the [[European Medicines Agency]].<ref name="EMA-2009"/> It produces a [[catnip]]-like response in cats.

=== Phytochemicals ===
Known compounds detected in valerian include:<ref name="drugs" />
* [[Alkaloid]]s: [[actinidine]],<ref name="phenolics">Fereidoon Shahidi and Marian Naczk, ''Phenolics in food and nutraceuticals'' (Boca Raton, Florida, USA: CRC Press, 2004), [https://books.google.com/books?id=vHOJKw4umikC&pg=PA313 pp. 313–314] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130624105109/http://books.google.com/books?id=vHOJKw4umikC&pg=PA313 |date=2013-06-24 }} {{ISBN|1-58716-138-9}}.</ref> chatinine,<ref name="phenolics" />{{NoteTag|1= Although many sources list "catinine" as an alkaloid present in extracts from the root of ''Valeriana officinalis'', those sources are incorrect. The correct spelling is "chatinine". It was discovered by S. Waliszewski in 1891. See:
* S. Waliszewski (15 March 1891). ''L'Union pharmaceutique'', p. 109. Abstracts of this article appeared in: "Chatinine, alcaloïde de la racine de valériane". ''Répertoire de pharmacie'', series 3, vol. 3, [https://books.google.com/books?id=aPkKAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA166 pp. 166–167]; {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130619055528/http://books.google.com/books?id=aPkKAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA166 |date=2013-06-19 }} (April 10, 1891).
* ''American Journal of Pharmacy'', vol. 66, [https://books.google.com/books?id=Bj0fAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA285 p. 285]; {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130619145305/http://books.google.com/books?id=Bj0fAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA285 |date=2013-06-19 }} (June 1891).}} shyanthine,<ref name="phenolics" /> valerianine,<ref name="phenolics" /> and valerine<ref name="phenolics" />
* [[Isovaleramide]] may be created in the extraction process.{{NoteTag|[[Isovaleramide]] does not appear to be a naturally occurring component of valerian plants; rather, it seems to be an artifact of the extraction process; specifically, it is produced by treating aqueous extracts of valerian with ammonia.<ref>{{cite journal |last1 = Balandrin |first1 = M. F. |last2 = Van Wagenen |first2 = B. C. |last3 = Cordell |first3 = G. A. |year = 1995 |title = Valerian-derived sedative agents. II. Degradation of Valmane-derived valepotriates in ammoniated hydroalcoholic tinctures |journal = Journal of Toxicology: Toxin Reviews |doi = 10.3109/15569549509097280 |volume = 14 |issue = 2 |pages = 88–252 }}</ref>}}
* [[Gamma-aminobutyric acid]] (GABA)<ref name="ods">{{cite web |date=15 March 2013 |title=Valerian |url=https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Valerian-HealthProfessional/ |access-date=2 April 2018 |publisher=Office of Dietary Supplements, US National Institutes of Health}}</ref>
* [[Valeric acid]]<ref name="EB1911">{{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Valeric Acid |volume=27 |page=859}}</ref> 
* [[Isovaleric acid]]{{NoteTag|[[Isovaleric acid]] does not appear to be a natural constituent of ''V. officinalis''; rather, it is a breakdown product that is created during the extraction process or by enzymatic hydrolysis during (improper) storage.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=Z9HN5DxpYOQC&pg=PA22 pp. 22 and 123] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130619073525/http://books.google.com/books?id=Z9HN5DxpYOQC&pg=PA22 |date=2013-06-19 }} of Peter J. Houghton, ''Valerian: the genus Valeriana'' (Amsterdam, the Netherlands: Harwood Academic Press, 1997) {{ISBN|90-5702-170-6}}.</ref>}}
* [[Iridoid]]s, including valepotriates<ref name="phenolics" />
* [[Sesquiterpene]]s (contained in the [[Essential oil|volatile oil]]): [[valerenic acid]],<ref name="pmid14742369">{{cite journal |vauthors = Yuan CS, Mehendale S, Xiao Y, Aung HH, Xie JT, Ang-Lee MK |title = The gamma-aminobutyric acidergic effects of valerian and valerenic acid on rat brainstem neuronal activity. |journal = Anesth Analg |year = 2004 |volume = 98 |issue = 2 |pages = 353–8, table of contents |pmid = 14742369 |doi = 10.1213/01.ANE.0000096189.70405.A5 |citeseerx = 10.1.1.323.5518 |s2cid = 14526474 }}</ref> hydroxyvalerenic acid and acetoxyvalerenic acid<ref>{{cite journal |last1 = Wills |first1 = R.B.H. |last2 = Shohet |first2 = D. |title = Changes in valerenic acids content of valerian root (Valeriana officinalis L. s.l.) during long-term storage |journal = Food Chemistry |volume=115 |issue=1 |date=July 2009 |pages=250–253 |doi=10.1016/j.foodchem.2008.12.011 }}</ref>
* [[Flavanone]]s: [[hesperidin]],<ref name="pmid12895671">{{cite journal |vauthors = Marder M, Viola H, Wasowski C, Fernández S, Medina JH, Paladini AC |title = 6-methylapigenin and hesperidin: new valeriana flavonoids with activity on the CNS |journal = Pharmacol Biochem Behav |year=2003 |volume=75 |issue=3 |pages=537–45 |pmid=12895671 |doi=10.1016/S0091-3057(03)00121-7 |s2cid = 37559366 }}</ref> 6-methyl[[apigenin]],<ref name="pmid12895671" /> and linarin<ref name="pmid14751470">{{cite journal |vauthors = Fernández S, Wasowski C, Paladini AC, Marder M |title = Sedative and sleep-enhancing properties of linarin, a flavonoid-isolated from Valeriana officinalis |journal=Pharmacol Biochem Behav |year=2004 |volume=77 |issue=2 |pages=399–404 |pmid=14751470 |doi=10.1016/j.pbb.2003.12.003 |s2cid = 34347546 }}</ref>

=== Preparation ===
The chief constituent of valerian is a yellowish-green to brownish-yellow oil present in the dried root, varying in content from 0.5 to 2.0%. This variation in quantity may be determined by location; a dry, stony soil yields a root richer in oil than moist, fertile soil.<ref name="botanical">{{cite web |title=Valerian |publisher=Botanical.com |url=http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/v/valeri01.html |access-date=2007-04-15 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061110083410/http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/v/valeri01.html |archive-date=2006-11-10 }}</ref>

===Traditional medicine===
[[File:ValerianEssentialOil.png|thumb|Valerian (''V. officinalis'') essential oil]]
Valerian is a common [[traditional medicine]] used for treating [[insomnia]]. Some sources describe its effectiveness for this purpose as weak, ineffective, inconclusive, or low.<ref name="drugs" /><ref name="ods" /><ref name="altrev">{{cite journal |vauthors=Leach MJ, Page AT |title=Herbal medicine for insomnia: A systematic review and meta-analysis |journal=Sleep Med Rev |volume=24 |pages=1–12 |year=2015 |pmid=25644982 |doi=10.1016/j.smrv.2014.12.003 |type=Review}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sateia |first1=Michael J. |last2=Buysse |first2=Daniel J. |last3=Krystal |first3=Andrew D. |last4=Neubauer |first4=David N. |last5=Heald |first5=Jonathan L. |date=2017-02-15 |title=Clinical Practice Guideline for the Pharmacologic Treatment of Chronic Insomnia in Adults: An American Academy of Sleep Medicine Clinical Practice Guideline |journal=Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine |volume=13 |issue=2 |pages=307–349 |doi=10.5664/jcsm.6470 |issn=1550-9397 |pmc=5263087 |pmid=27998379}}</ref> Two meta-analyses concluded that valerian may improve sleep quality.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Fernández-San-Martín |first1=Maria Isabel |last2=Masa-Font |first2=Roser |last3=Palacios-Soler |first3=Laura |last4=Sancho-Gómez |first4=Pilar |last5=Calbó-Caldentey |first5=Cristina |last6=Flores-Mateo |first6=Gemma |date=2010 |title=Effectiveness of Valerian on insomnia: a meta-analysis of randomised placebo-controlled trials |journal=Sleep Medicine |volume=11 |issue=6 |pages=505–511 |doi=10.1016/j.sleep.2009.12.009 |issn=1878-5506 |pmid=20347389}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bent |first1=Stephen |last2=Padula |first2=Amy |last3=Moore |first3=Dan |last4=Patterson |first4=Michael |last5=Mehling |first5=Wolf |date=2006 |title=Valerian for sleep: a systematic review and meta-analysis |journal=The American Journal of Medicine |volume=119 |issue=12 |pages=1005–1012 |doi=10.1016/j.amjmed.2006.02.026 |issn=1555-7162 |pmc=4394901 |pmid=17145239}}</ref> A 2006 [[meta-analysis]] concluded that there was insufficient evidence to determine valerian's effectiveness or safety for [[Anxiety disorder|anxiety disorders]].<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Miyasaka LS, Atallah AN, Soares BG |year=2006 |title=Valerian for anxiety disorders |journal=Cochrane Database Syst Rev |type=Systematic review |issue=4 |article-number=CD004515 |doi=10.1002/14651858.CD004515.pub2 |pmid=17054208}}</ref> Another meta-analysis found that valerian may be safe and effective for improving sleep and reducing anxiety and that inconsistent results in past research could possibly stem from variability in extract quality.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Shinjyo |first1=Noriko |last2=Waddell |first2=Guy |last3=Green |first3=Julia |date=2020 |title=Valerian Root in Treating Sleep Problems and Associated Disorders-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis |journal=Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine |volume=25 |article-number=2515690X20967323 |doi=10.1177/2515690X20967323 |issn=2515-690X |pmc=7585905 |pmid=33086877}}</ref> 

In contrast, the [[European Medicines Agency]] (EMA) approved the [[health claim]] that valerian can be used as a traditional herb to relieve mild nervous tension and to aid sleep; the EMA's  [[Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products]] recognises valerian dry [[ethanol]] [[extract]] as a well-established herbal medicine for relieving mild nervous tension and improving sleep, based on multiple randomised, controlled, double-blind clinical trials, expert reports, sleep-EEG studies, and traditional use demonstrating gradual improvements in sleep and mild nervous tension symptoms.<ref name="EMA-2009">{{cite web |url= https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/herbal/valerianae-radix |title=European Medicines Agency - Find medicine - Valerianae radix |website=www.ema.europa.eu |date=31 December 2009 |access-date=2016-08-08 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817081353/http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/index.jsp?curl=pages%2Fmedicines%2Fherbal%2Fmedicines%2Fherbal_med_000015.jsp&mid=WC0b01ac058001fa1d |archive-date=2016-08-17}}</ref><ref>European Medicines Agency. ''Final assessment report on Valeriana officinalis L., radix and Valeriana officinalis L., aetheroleum''. EMA/HMPC/150846/2015. Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC), 2 February 2016, pp. 40–56. [https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-report/final-assessment-report-valeriana-officinalis-l-radix-and-valeriana-officinalis-l-aetheroleum_en.pdf Accessed 20 May 2025].</ref>

Germany's [[Commission E]], the scientific advisory board responsible for evaluating the safety and efficacy of herbal substances, has approved valerian as an effective mild sedative.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Does Valerian Root interact with any drugs? |url=https://www.drugs.com/medical-answers/valerian-root-interact-drugs-3573866/ |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=Drugs.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-24 |title=Valerian root (Valerianae radix) |url=https://www.heilpflanzen-welt.de/commission-e-0367/ |access-date=2025-05-20 }}</ref>

Valerian has not been shown to be helpful in treating [[restless leg syndrome]].<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Bega D, Malkani R |year=2016 |title=Alternative treatment of restless legs syndrome: an overview of the evidence for mind-body interventions, lifestyle interventions, and neutraceuticals |journal=Sleep Med. |type=Review |volume=17 |pages=99–105 |doi=10.1016/j.sleep.2015.09.009 |pmid=26847981}}</ref>
==== Oral forms ====
[[File:A bottle of Valerian capsules.jpg|thumb|A bottle of valerian capsules]]
Oral forms are available in both standard and nonstandard forms. Standardised products may be preferable considering the wide variation of the chemicals in the dried root, as noted above. When standardised, it is done so as a percentage of valerenic acid or valeric acid. For commonly used doses, valerian is [[generally recognised as safe]] in the U.S.<ref name="drugs" />

==== Adverse effects ====
Because the compounds in valerian produce central nervous system depression, they should not be used with other depressants, such as [[ethanol]] (drinking alcohol), [[benzodiazepine]]s, [[barbiturate]]s, [[opiate]]s, [[kava]], or [[Antihistamine|antihistamine drugs]].<ref name="drugs" /><ref name="Klesper">{{cite journal |vauthors=Klepser TB, Klepser ME |year=1999 |title=Unsafe and potentially safe herbal therapies |pmid=10030529|journal=Am J Health-Syst Pharm |volume=56 |issue=12538 |pages=125–38; quiz 139–41 |doi=10.1093/ajhp/56.2.125 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="Wong">{{cite journal |vauthors=Wong AH, Smith M, Boon HS |year=1998 |title=Herbal remedies in psychiatric practice |pmid=9819073|journal=Arch Gen Psychiatry |volume=55 |issue=103344 |pages=1033–44 |doi=10.1001/archpsyc.55.11.1033}}</ref><ref name="Miller">{{cite journal |author=Miller LG |year=1998 |title=Herbal medicines. Selected clinical considerations focusing on known or potential drug-herb interactions |pmid=9818800 |journal=Arch Intern Med |volume=158 |issue=220011 |pages=2200–11 |doi=10.1001/archinte.158.20.2200 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

As an unregulated product, the concentration, contents, and potential contaminants in valerian preparations cannot be easily determined.<ref name="drugs" /><ref name="ods" /> Because of this uncertainty and the potential for toxicity in the [[fetus]] and [[hepatotoxicity]] in the mother, valerian use is discouraged during pregnancy.<ref name="drugs" /><ref name="Klesper" /><ref name="Wong" /> Headache and [[diarrhea]] have occurred among subjects using valerian in clinical studies.<ref name="drugs" />

=== Other uses ===
The young leaves can be cooked and the roots can be infused in hot beverages like [[hot chocolate]].<ref name="tfb" />

=== Effect on cats ===
Valerian root is a [[cat attractant]], containing [[attractant]] [[semiochemical]]s in a way similar to [[catnip]], which can affect [[cat behaviour]].<ref name="bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com">{{cite journal |last1=Bol |first1=Sebastiaan |date=16 March 2017 |title=Responsiveness of cats (Felidae) to silver vine (Actinidia polygama), Tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica), valerian (Valeriana officinalis) and catnip (Nepeta cataria) |journal=BMC Veterinary Research |volume=13 |issue=1 |article-number=70 |doi=10.1186/s12917-017-0987-6 |pmc=5356310 |pmid=28302120 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Its roots and leaves are one of three alternatives for the one-third of domesticated or medium-sized cats who do not feel the effects of catnip.<ref name="bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com" /><ref>{{cite web |year=2014 |title=Catnip (Nepeta cataria) – Everything You Need to Know About Catnip! |url=http://www.cat-world.com.au/all-about-catnip |access-date=2 January 2015 |website=Cat-World.com.au |publisher=Cat World}}</ref> Valerian root has also been reported to be attractive to rats and used to attract members of the family [[Canidae]] to traps.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Tucker |first1=Arthur O. |last2=Tucker |first2=Sharon S. |date=April 1988 |title=Catnip and the catnip response |journal=Economic Botany |volume=42 |issue=2 |pages=214–231 |doi=10.1007/bf02858923 |bibcode=1988EcBot..42..214T |issn=0013-0001 |s2cid=34777592}}</ref>

== In culture ==
Valerian has been used in [[traditional medicine|traditional]] [[herbal medicine]] since at least the times of ancient Greece and Rome.<ref name="ods" /> [[Hippocrates]] described its properties, and [[Galen]] later prescribed it as a remedy for insomnia.<ref name="ods" /> In medieval Sweden, it was sometimes placed in the wedding clothes of a bridegroom to ward off the "envy" of the [[elf|elves]].<ref>Thorpe, Benjamin (1851) [[iarchive:northernmytholog02thor|''Northern Mythology'']]. {{Cite web |url=http://archive.org/details/northernmytholog02thor |title=Northern mythology: Comprising the principal popular traditions and superstitions of Scandinavia, North Germany, and the Netherlands |access-date=2017-11-24 |archive-date=2013-04-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130416031314/http://archive.org/details/northernmytholog02thor |url-status=bot: unknown }}. Lumley. Vol.&nbsp;2. pp.&nbsp;64–65.</ref> In the 16th century, [[Pilgram Marpeck]] prescribed valerian tea for a sick woman.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Torsten Bergsten |year=1958 |title=Two Letters by Pilgram Marpeck |journal=Mennonite Quarterly Review |volume=32 |page=200}}</ref>

John Gerard's ''[[Herball, or Generall Historie of Plantes]]'', first published in 1597, states that his contemporaries found valerian "excellent for those burdened and for such as be troubled with [[croup]] and other like convulsions, and also for those that are bruised with falls". He says that the dried root was valued as a medicine by the poor in the north of England and the south of Scotland, such that "no brothes, pottages or phisicalle meates are woorth [worth] anything if Setwall [valerian] were not at one end".<ref name="Herball">{{cite book |author=[[John Gerard]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pgZfAAAAcAAJ&q=Herball,+or+Generall+Historie+of+Plantes |title=Herball, or Generall Historie of Plantes |publisher=John Norton |year=1597 |volume=4 |page=919}}</ref><ref name="Grieve, Maud 1971">{{cite book |author=Grieve, Maud |title=A Modern Herbal: The Medicinal, Culinary, Cosmetic and Economic Properties, Cultivation and Folk-lore of Herbs, Grasses, Fungi, Shrubs, & Trees with All Their Modern Scientific Uses |year=1971 |volume=2}}</ref>

The 17th-century [[astrological botany|astrological botanist]] [[Nicholas Culpeper]] thought the plant was "under the influence of Mercury, and therefore hath a warming faculty". He recommended both herb and root, and said that "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 pricking thereof."<ref name="Grieve, Maud 1971" />

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Valeriana officinalis 001.JPG|''V. officinalis''
File:Valeriana officinalis.jpg|''V. officinalis'' foliage
Spotted longhorn (Rutpela maculata) female on common valerian (Valeriana officinalis) Ruggeller Riet.jpg|Spotted longhorn (''Rutpela maculata'') female on ''V. officinalis''
Valeriana officinalis - Niitvälja.jpg|''V. officinalis''
File:Valeriana officinalis - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-143.jpg|19th-century illustration of ''Valeriana officinalis''
File:156 Valeriana officinalis L.jpg|Illustration of ''V. officinalis'' from {{Lang|fr|Atlas des plantes de France}}, 1891
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Orvietan]]
*[[Aralia racemosa|Spikenard]]
*[[Corvalol]]

== Notes ==
{{NoteFoot}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Commonscat-inline|Valeriana officinalis}}

{{Medicinal herbs & fungi}}
{{Sedatives}}
{{Insomnia pharmacotherapies}}
{{Domestic cat}}
{{GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulators}}
{{Serotonin receptor modulators}}
{{Purine receptor modulators}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q157819}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Valeriana|officinalis]]
[[Category:Cat attractants]]
[[Category:CYP3A4 inhibitors]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
[[Category:Anxiolytics]]
[[Category:Flora of temperate Asia]]
[[Category:Flora of Europe]]
[[Category:Plants described in 1753]]
[[Category:Botanical taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]
[[Category:GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulators]]