Valerian - Coccinea
100 Seeds.
Sow April - June.
Hardy perennial.
As long as its roots are kept cool, it will grow in almost any soil in sun or partial shade.
Height 1-1.2m (3-4ft) Spread 1m (3ft).
Sow in open ground or a cold frame.
Thin out seedlings as they grow to 5cm apart. Plant out during September and October spacing 30cm apart for flowering throughout the following summer.
Short rhizome with pale fibrous roots and offshoots from the second season onwards. Round, green, hollow stems with deep grooves. The narrow leaves are deeply toothed with dark green leaflets and exude a sharp scent like horseradish. Tiny, sweetly scented, pale lilac-pink flowers appear in midsummer.
Valerian
Also known as All Heal, Set All, Common Valerian, Garden Heliotrope, Cut Finger, Fragrant Valerian, Cat's Valerian and St. George's Herb.
From the family Caprifoliaceae.
This is a native of Europe and West Asia and is now naturalized in North America. The name derives from the Latin valere meaning 'to be in health', an allusion to its powerful medicinal qualities. Nordic, Persian and Chinese herbalists used the root, and it was sure to be found in the medicine bag of Canadian Indian warriors as a wound antiseptic. The Greek physician Galen used it for epilepsy in children and adults. Fresh root smells like ancient leather, but when dried, it is nearer to stale perspiration. And it is still used to add a musky tone to perfumes. Cats and rats are attracted to the smell, and The Pied Piper of Hamlin is said to have carried the roots to help him rid the city of rats. It is also placed in hives to keep bees close to their nests, and rubbed on earthworms to attract trout to the bait. It was used during the First and Second World Wars for treating shell shock and nervous stress.