Valeriana dioica - Marsh Valerian

Family:	Valerianaceae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	0.3
Synonyms:
Range:	Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to N. Spain, N. Italy and central Russia.

Valeriana dioica (Marsh Valerian) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 0.3m . It has a hardness rating of 0.
Marsh Valerian will flower in November to December. The flowers from this plant are dioecious (each plant is either male or female, thus both genders need to be present to seed) and they are pollinated by Insects

Soil Information

Marsh Valerian will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is not necessary for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
Marsh Valerian prefers soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Marsh Valerian should not be planted in shady areas.

Marshy meadows, fens and bogs[17].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Suits a meadow
• A bog garden plant

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in ordinary garden soil[1]. A calcifuge plant, it requires a lime-free soil[200]. Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 2/5
Root - cooked. The odoriferous root is slowly baked for 2 days and then eaten as a vegetable, used in soups or made into a bread[172]. Seed - parched[172].

• Root - includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
• Seed - includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 1/5
The whole plant, but especially the root, is antispasmodic, carminative, diuretic, hypnotic, nervine (powerful), sedative, stimulant[172]. Use with caution[21].

• Antispasmodic - Relaxes muscular spasms and cramps, calming nervous irritation.
• Carminative - Reduces flatulence and expels gas from the intestines.
• Diuretic - Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
• Hypnotic - Induces sleep.
• Nervine - Stimulates and calms the nerves.
• Sedative - Gently calms, reducing nervousness, distress and irritation.
• Stimulant - Excites or quickens activity of the physiological processes. Faster acting than a tonic but differing from a narcotic in that it does not give a false sense of well-being.

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame and only just cover the seed because it requires light for germination[200]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant out into their permanent positions in the summer if sufficient growth has been made. If the plants are too small to plant out, grow them on in the greenhouse or frame for their first winter and plant them out early in the following summer. Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the summer or the following spring.

Known Hazards

Some caution is advised with the use of this plant. At least one member of the genus is considered to be poisonous raw[161] and V. officinalis is a powerful nervine and sedative that can become habit-forming.

Other Uses

None known

Cultivars

no recorded cultivars

References

Flora of the British Isles.
Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Author: Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Rating:
Publisher : A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
Date of Publication : 1962

The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Huxley. A.
Author: Huxley. A.
Rating:
Publisher : Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Date of Publication : 1992

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