Valerian grows all over Europe as well as in areas as diverse as the Andes and South Africa. In the US, valerian grows along roadsides throughout the northeast. It is a tall gangly plant with white or pink flat top flower clusters.
The name valerian is derived from the Latin root word meaning to be ‘in health’. The root has a strong, distinctive aromatic odor. Some people find it attractive and others offensive. The Greek physician Dioscorides wrote in the first century about this root, referring to it as Phu, which has the same root word as our expression, “pew!” Cats are extremely attracted to this plant, even more so than catnip.
