Common Valerian (
valeriana officinalis) has been used medicinally since at least medieval times and its common name 'all heal' shows how highly it was regarded. The name
valeriana (from the Latin 'valere' - to be in health) first occurs in the ninth or tenth century, clearly equated with the 'Phu' of Dioscorides and Galen, named for its offensive odour!
The whole question of its smell is an interesting one. The root develops a strong unpleasant odour as it dries, yet was used as a spice and a perfume in the Middle Ages. Cats are intoxicated by the musky smell of the plant, especially if bruised, and will roll in it and it seems rats are affected in a similar way - it has even been suggested that the Pied Piper of Hamlin owed his success as a rat-catcher to the valerian he secreted about his person.
It is the root which is now used and referred to in modern herbals, yet the Anglo-Saxons used it as a salad and Culpeper commented that 'the green herb being bruised and applied to the head taketh away pain'.
Its fame as a tranquilizer and sedative has overshadowed a range of other medicinal applications - it was recommended at various times for treating coughs, combatting the plague and curing epilepsy, as well as deterring witches and attracting suitors! Its effectiveness as a reliable, calming sedative has long been recognised: a 14th century recipe recommends the juice to stop men fighting and it was widely used in the First World War to treat shell-shock.
It is now valued as a safe effective sedative that does not react with alcohol, create dependency or creat 'hangover' type after-effects. It is most commonly taken as an infusion of the crushed root (1 tspn to 1 cup of boiling water steeped for 20mins) 2 to 3 times daily. Alternatively, a tablespoon steeped for 8hours in a glass of tepid water is taken as a bedtime drink. The tincture can be used in place of an infusion, a teaspoon taken on a sugar lump 2 to 3 times daily, though the effects and dosage can vary markedly: some people may require up to 5ml while in others this much could cause headaches. For this reason, a low dose of 1 to 2ml is recommended at least to begin with.
It is as a powerful nervine that Valerian is nowadays applied medicinally, taken internally to treat hysteria, hyperactivity, anxiety, nervous tension, insomnia, nervous indigestion/ stomach and intestine problems, headaches, IBS and eczema. It is also used internally for painful menstruation and migraine. Externally, it encourages healing in wounds and ulcers and is effective topically for muscle cramps (a pad soaked in tincture is used).
CAUTION: High doses or continued use can lead to headaches and palpitations, so a break is recommended after 2 to 3 weeks. Valerian is contra-indicated for other sedative or anti-depressant drugs.
A bitter, sedative, stimulant, warming herb.
It calms nerves, relaxes spasms, improves digestion, relieves pain and lowers blood pressure. It is expectorant and diuretic.
Its flowers, which are pale pink to white, can be found from May to September.
A late medieval direction says that the roots are collected in August.
A note on Red Valerian
The true medicinal valerian is commonly confused with Red Valerian (centranthus rubra), a decorative plant introduced from the Mediterranean but now naturalised in southern England. This plant is edible, both leaves and roots being used as food in parts of Europe, and has crimson, pink or rarely white flowers from June to September. It was once known as 'valerian rubra' but it does not have the medicinal qualities of common valerian described above.
PLEASE NOTE: These notes on the history and use of herbs have been compiled for general interest and are not intended as medical advice, for which you should consult a professional herbalist.
BIBLIOGRAPY:
'Herbs and Healing Plants of Britain and Europe' Dieter Podlech, trans.Martin Walters (1996)
'Leechcraft: Early English Charms, Plantlore and Healing' Stephen Pollington (2000)
'A Modern Herbal' Mrs M. Grieve FRHS ed. Mrs C. F. Leyel (1973)
'The Herb Society's Complete Medicinal Herbal' Penelope Ody MNIMH (1993)
'RHS Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses' Deni Brown (2002)
The book describes how all the different minerals and trace elements are formed in the earth's core, magma and crust and are drawn up through the root systems of plants into sea vegetables and the plants that we eat as food. It goes on to talk about the way in which intensive farming has de-mineralised the food we eat and the impact the use of NPK fertiliser has on the balance of minerals in our food. He then explains the effects of mineral deficiencies on the body, causing dysfunction and disease, and how western medical practice does not consider the issue in relation to ill health. All the various minerals and trace elements are considered in turn, with their individual characteristics and foods which are rich in them. However, it is also shown how the minerals all act with each other, so if you become deficient in or supplement one it will put out the delicate balance with all the others. It is also stressed that too much of many of these minerals can be dangerous. And much more besides (issues of absorption, effects of sugar and refined white flour, the work of ground-breaking early 20th century travellers and researchers into the diets of indiginous peoples).. It is a fantastic book in which the science and technical issues involved are discussed clearly and without losing the reader, but which also has a clear spiritual component running through it. 
The whole question of its smell is an interesting one. The root develops a strong unpleasant odour as it dries, yet was used as a spice and a perfume in the Middle Ages. Cats are intoxicated by the musky smell of the plant, especially if bruised, and will roll in it and it seems rats are affected in a similar way - it has even been suggested that the Pied Piper of Hamlin owed his success as a rat-catcher to the valerian he secreted about his person.
However, my old friend the wild rose is now a veritable bush .. this summer it is just flowering and flowering and there are always more buds coming, it seems. And the flowers are sweetly fragrant. The only problem with picking them is that they always have a bee or hoverfly inside... and I should point out here that I always leave plenty of flowers for the bees when I gather them to use. 
Last year I only achieved a very slightly scented oil, due to a lack of sufficient roses over the whole season. I made it into little pots of rose lipbalm, and the rose fragrance was so ephemeral as to barely be there .. sometimes I thought I was just remembering it or smelling it with the 'nose of faith'! But it so much better than using essential oil, which is desperately expensive in any case. Will let you know how this year's turns out. 
If you're interested you should go read Susun's information for yourself but the upshot is that tincture made from valerian root, which is probably the strongest and best known herbal sedative, unfortunately has the opposite effect in a certain proportion of the people who try taking it, stimulating rather than sedating them. I've seen that proportion given as anything from a tenth to a third - so its significant, and I guess you don't know if that's you until you give it a go. Apparently, the flowers give a much gentler effect and have been used successfully by people who were stimulated by the root. 
So there I was this morning, snippers in hand, trug at the ready, harvesting those sweet-scented blooms to make my own tincture. I find there is nothing quite like picking and processing a herb to really get to know it. You get the feel and fragrance of the plant as you handle it, and really see the little details closeup. You get to see what the flowers look like just before and just after their best and learn how to tell when they're coming or going. You get to see what busy little creatures like to live, work and play in the plant. I met some rather impressive tiny spiders this morning, so completely green as to be invisible when sat on a floret. And a couple of ants farming aphids and a teensy tiny little beetley thing. By-the-by, with chives it was earwigs (be warned, potential scone-makers!!). So anyway, its not something to do if you've got a bus to catch, but though it took a while to pick the flowers from the heads it felt like time well spent. 
So the little bottle in the middle is the Valerian Flower Tincture made this morning, to the left is a little pot of rose petals in oil (will post about that soon) and to the right the Chive Blossom Vinegar I was telling you about the other day here. So now we wait .. I will be really interested to see how effective it is. Sleeping has never been a problem for me thus far in life, I'm one of those lucky souls who falls asleep the instant my head hits the pillow. And any slight excitement before bedtime can easily be sorted out with a mug of Ovaltine and ten minutes engrossed in a novel to switch my brain off from the day and any outstanding mental to-do list. But I've noticed of late a few nights around the same time each month I am lying there unable to sleep for some reason. This is highly annoying if its actually a night where the little'un sleeps through, as you can well imagine! Its always when I'm experiencing other symptoms of hormonal upheaval, so perhaps is a sign of things to come given my age.. so what a helpful thing to have in the cupboard. I'll keep you posted!
Now valerian was really a bit of a mistake for me. Back when I was starting out I read about it and its properties and got excited and wanted to have some to grow .. before I read further and realised that you would only want to use the root, and even that only dug at the right time of year in the right year of its growth. As I have always had such a small garden (only a collection of window boxes when I was beginning) it was important that each plant earn its place - beautiful, useful and preferably multi-purpose. So it doesn't really qualify. 
Think its probably safe to say its got the right conditions in the new herb garden! I saw earlier in the year that it was bullying other plants out of the bed, but I've let it flower. It has such thick tall strong stems that it supports other herbs around it - in particular a beautiful bronze fennel that grows up through it. And later in the year, once its heyday is done, its tall skeleton will be handy for tying in the evening primrose next to it which doesn't take off until much later. 
I've got a feeling the titles for all the posts this month are going to start with the same word! We are dealing with an abundance of chives at the moment, following the stormy weather end of last week which horizontal-ised my lovely tall vertical flowering chive clumps. So what do you do with a forest of chives? Well you may ask! I've been scratching my head all day and here's what I've come up with so far.. 
The more robust stalks I chopped finely and decided to just freeze in a bag - I will try adding to soups, to get that delicious onion flavour, where they will be cooked a nice long time so that they become tender. So now I'm left with bunches of stems that are somewhere between these two extremes - time to get baking! I've got a really nice recipe for savoury muffins which I'll share with you next time. 
