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Common Valerian

Common Valerian

Valeriana officinalis

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How common: Common

Common Valerian is a tall, long‑lived wildflower of damp, fertile ground. You can spot it on riverbanks, wet meadows and woodland edges, and it often appears on moist, disturbed meadows. It carries broad clusters of many tiny pale pink or white flowers, and large patches can smell quite strong, especially when drying.

Did you know?

  • Tomcats are drawn to the scent and may dig up the roots and roll on the plant.
  • Its Latin name comes from valere, “to be strong.”

About the species

Identification

Tall (70–150 cm) upright plant with a hollow, slightly angled, mostly smooth stem. Leaves grow in pairs up the stem; each leaf is divided into many narrow, toothed side pieces (usually 6–11 pairs) with a small end piece that is hardly wider than the others. The flowers form a much‑branched, rounded cluster; each flower is tiny and funnel‑shaped, pale pink to white, with a strong, somewhat sweaty scent. Later it makes small dry seeds with a little feathery tuft. Can be confused with elder valerian, but this species has smaller flowers. Flowers in Finland in June–July.

Plant group

Herbaceous plants

Habitat

shore

Flowering

Jun–Jul

About the habitat

Damp, nutrient‑rich places such as riverbanks, wet meadows, woodland edges and fallow fields; often where the soil stays moist. Most common in Åland and Southwest Finland; common in South Finland and reaching north to the edge of Central Finland.

Sources

Photo: Bernd De Bosscher, CC BY 4.0 https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/6162913111

Text: Pinkka: Kaisaniemen kasvitieteellisen puutarhan evoluutiopuutarha - Asteridit, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39358

Text: Pinkka: BIO-503 Suomen kasvisto ja kasvillisuus - Kulttuuriympäristöt: niityt, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39358

Text: Pinkka: BIO-516 Hyötykasvit - Rohdos- ja lääkekasveja, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39358

Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohtovirmajuuri

See also