Valerian Live Plant, 3.5 Inch Pot

We'll begin shipping plants early to mid March, once temperatures are suitable to ensure your plants arrive healthy and happy.

Valerian presents a charming contradiction that surprises first-time growers. While the root carries that distinctive funky, earthy aroma herbalists know well, the flowers bloom with an unexpectedly sweet fragrance that drifts across the garden on summer evenings. These white clustered blooms crown tall stalks that can reach 5 feet in the plant's maturity.

A hardy perennial that returns reliably year after year, valerian appreciates rich, moist soil and partial shade, though it tolerates full sun in cooler climates. The dramatic height and delicate umbrella-like flower clusters make it an architectural presence in the herb garden. Plants may take a season to establish before showing their full vigor.

Herbalists have valued valerian root for centuries as a traditional nervine herb, working with it to support restful sleep and ease nervous tension. The roots are typically harvested in fall of the second year when their medicinal compounds are most concentrated. In medieval gardens, valerian was valued both for medicine and for its ability to attract cats — who seem as drawn to the plant as they are to catnip. The root's reputation for promoting calm and restful sleep is ancient, though the sweet-blooming flowers seem to know nothing of such serious business.