Ivar Leidus · CC BY-SA 4.0
Common valerian
Plant·Valeriana officinalis
Full sun
Sun
Medium
Water
Moist soil
Drainage
Zones 4–9
Hardiness
Common valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is a plant. It grows best in full sun and has moderate water needs. It grows well with tomato and apple.
Through the year
DormantFloweringLeafing outDying back
Works well with
from wiki dataWHAT IT NEEDS
Wants full sun
Needs moderate water
Tolerates moist soil, as long as it drains well
Prefers soil pH 5.5–7
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Prefers loam, clay, sandy soil
Tolerates some soil compaction
Draws up potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium from deep in the soil
Adds a moderate amount of organic matter to the soil
Partners with mycorrhizal fungi to boost nutrient uptake
WHAT IT GIVES
Gives mulch biomass (medium)
Gives nectar (attracts pollinators)
Provides potassium
Provides phosphorus
Provides calcium
Provides magnesium
Attracts pollinators
Attracts beneficial insects
HOW IT GROWS
SIZE & SPACING
Herbaceous
Height100–150 cm
Spacing45 cm (min 30 cm)
Root depthMedium
Width45–60 cm
Width figures are rough estimates, the most variable measurement in our data.
AI estimate · accuracy improves as growers contribute corrections.
HOW TO PROPAGATE
Propagate by seed, division
Difficulty
Establishes in about 1 yr
Self-seeds readily on its own
Where this comes from
Parsed11 Sept 2026
ConfidenceNot recorded
Photograph Ivar Leidus · CC BY-SA 4.0