Valerian (herb)
| Valerian | ||||||||||||||
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| Valeriana officinalis L. |
Valerian (Valeriana officinalis, Valerianaceae) is a hardy perennial flowering plant, with heads of sweetly scented pink or white flowers. Note that this "sweet" smell is quite overpowering when you put the flower into a vase.
Other names used for this plant include garden valerian (to distinguish it from other Valeriana species), garden heliotrope (but it is not related to Heliotrope, Heliotropum) and all-heal.
Valerian has uses in herbal medicine as a sedative. It has in the past been recommended for epilepsy but that has not been supported by modern research. The main current use of valerian is as a remedy for insomnia. Large doses are known to cause withdrawal symptoms when stopped and those with liver disease are advised not to use valerian.
An unusual feature of valerian is that pieces of the dried root affect the domestic cat in the same way as catnip. If valerian root is left in a place where cats have access to it they will roll in it, drool on it, and chew it. However some cats won't touch valerian root. Rats are also attracted to valerian.
Valium is not derived from and does not contain valerian [1]