How to Grow Valerians Canada

At a Glance

Quick Facts

Factor	Value
Drainage	Moist but well-drained (RHS); PFAF: prefers a rich, heavy loam in a moist site, but succeeds in ordinary garden soil across light, medium or heavy textures.
Lifecycle	Cut back to ground level in autumn.
Edible parts	leaves, seeds, root

Growth Stages

Stage	BBCH	Notes
Sowing	0	PFAF: sow in spring in a cold frame, only just covering the seed since it needs light to germinate; prick out seedlings once large enough to handle. RHS separately notes division in spring or autumn as an alternative.
Establishment	3	RHS: generally pest-free and disease-free once established. PFAF adds a genuinely practical caution: cats are strongly attracted to this plant, similar to catnip, and can damage or destroy young growth.
Flowering	6	RHS: fleshy stems topped with rounded clusters of small pink or white flowers in summer -- PFAF separately notes the plant is noted for attracting pollinators.
Root harvest (year two)	8	PFAF: the medicinal root is only harvested from 2-year-old plants, dug in autumn once the leaves have died down -- a genuinely patient crop, not a same-season harvest.

Harvest & Storage

When to pick: PFAF: dig the roots of 2-year-old plants in autumn once the leaves have died down.

Storage

PFAF: use fresh or dried -- fresh root is about three times as effective as root dried at 40°C, and drying temperatures above 82°C destroy the active principle, so keep drying gentle and cool.

Pests

Cats

Felis catus

PFAF: cats are very fond of this plant, similar to their attraction to catnip, and can destroy it.

What the research guides add

Valerian is easy to grow, and NC State’s caution is about how easily it spreads.

• Easily grown in average garden soils in full to part sun; it prefers full sun, consistently moist conditions and fertile loam, though stems may flop in part shade. (NC State Extension)
• It spreads by rhizomes and seeds and can be weedy, and is listed as a noxious weed in Connecticut and Wisconsin. (NC State Extension)
• It is grown medicinally for the sedative effects of the drug obtained from the roots. (NC State Extension)

Valerian in Canada: climate data

Frost dates and frost-free days are the median values for the stations in Environment and Climate Change Canada climate normals with the highest data-quality rating (1981–2010 normals).

Sources for this section

• NC State Extension: Valeriana officinalis (Plant Toolbox)

Section researched and checked on 25 October 2026 by the SoilCommander Editorial Team. How we check facts: editorial policy.

Sources

The full list of 2 sources behind this guide (Plants For A Future (PFAF), Royal Horticultural Society) is in the references of our UK guide to valerian; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.