Valerian

Botanical name: Valerian officinalis

Pertinent Information on the Plant

  • Nervine (relaxant, sedative)

  • Good for stress and anxiety

  • Great for cardiovascular problems

  • Nervous tachycardia (speeding up of heart rate due to stress, tension and anxiety can be helped)

  • Hypnotic (will induce sleep)

  • Anti-spasmodic (digestive spasms or colic can be relieved)

  • Sedative (calm the nervous system and reduce stress and nervousness throughout the body)

  • Headaches (Stress related, vascular)

  • Anti-depressant

  • Indigestion – due to stress

  • Gastritis – due to stress

  • Colitis – due to stress

  • Analgesics (Pain reliever for muscular, tooth ache, burns, Gall bladder, cuts, wounds, sore throat etc)

  • Dysphagia – problem with swallowing

  • Premenstrual tension

  • Menstrual cramps

  • Insomnia

  • Regulates sleep and restfulness

  • Shingles

  • Psoriasis

  • Menopause – anxiety or depression

  • Reduce sexual drive (sexual energy)

  • Carminative

  • Itching and skin rash (with burdock and Echinacea)

  • Itching from Poison ivy and poison oak

  • Strengthens and tones heart (hypertension and irregular and rapid heartbeat)

  • Herb is non addictive

  • Herb can be used long term

Habitat and Growing area

  • Widespread in damp meadows throughout Europe and is often on banks beside freshwater ponds and streams. I have many growing on our farm in Ontario. Can also be found locally on many roadsides.

Extra Notes

  • Some people compare the smell of its flowers to dirty socks!
  • A good ingredient in teas, especially bed time blends.
Valerian

Reference Books:

Holistic Herbal, by David Hoffmann

Pages: 27, 28, 39, 53, 54, 56-60, 62, 65, 70-72, 74, 78, 86, 87, 95, 99, 101, 104, 105, 140, 143-146,159, 186, 194, 108 210, 221, 233, 238, 241

 The Way of Herbs, by Michael Tierra

Pages: 12, 20, 26, 32, 34, 36, 202,

 The Complete Encyclopedia of Herbs, by Nico Vermeulen

Page: 299

 Family Herbal, by Rosemary Gladstar

Pages: 50, 86, 26, 48, 49, 61, 63, 69, 75, 79, 85, 88, 96, 98, 99, 101, 111, 187, 261, 277, 295, 368-70

 Peterson Field Guide: Easter/Central Medicinal Plants and Herbs, by Steven Foster and James A. Duke


Penelope Beaudrow

I am a Registered Herbalist and educator who has devoted the past 25 years to helping others foster deep and resilient connections with the living intelligence of the natural world and the regenerative, healing forces of plants and the medicine they carry.

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