How to Grow Valerian
Valerian At a Glance
Difficulty
Easy
Category
Herb
Sun Exposure
Partial Shade
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -34°C
Plant Family
Caprifoliaceae
Growing Season
Warm Season
Plant Lifecycle
Perennial
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Valerian is very hardy, so sow it about 2 weeks before your last spring frost. Use fresh seed, since it loses its power to sprout within a year. Press the seeds onto the soil and barely cover them (0.3 cm at most), because they need light, and keep the surface damp: they sprout in 14 to 25 days. Thin them (pull the extras so each has room) to 45 cm apart.
Valerian is a tall, tough plant that comes back every year, with frothy, sweet-smelling white or pink flowers that bees and butterflies love. It is grown for its root, which is dug in the fall of its second year, and it drops seed freely, so snip the flowers after they fade if you want to keep it in one place.
When To Start
Valerian needs warmth. Wait until your last frost has passed and the soil has warmed before sowing.
We do not have exact sowing dates for this one yet.
When should you plant Valerian?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Valerian Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Valerian Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Sow fresh valerian seeds on the surface, do not cover deeply
2 weeks before your last frost
Optional: start valerian indoors for a head start
6 weeks before your last frost· optional
Plant valerian seedlings out, 45 cm apart
Around your last frost· optional
Dig valerian roots in the fall of its second year
1 week before your first frost· every year
Did you water your valerian seedlings today? Keep the top of the soil damp until they are up and growing.
About 1 days after you plant it
How is your valerian doing? Keep the soil moist, it likes a steady drink.
About 30 days after you plant it
Checking in on your valerian. Pull weeds around it so the young plants can spread.
About 90 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Valerian's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 1
Prepare Your Space
0.3 cm
Seeding Depth
45 cm
Plant Spacing
60 cm
Row Spacing
1
Plants / Sq Ft
Vertical Growing
No.
Succession Planting
No.
Good Companions
Bad Companions
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Expect sprouts in 14–25 days
Growing Tips
- 1Grow valerian in full sun or part shade.
- 2Give it rich, damp soil with plenty of compost mixed in.
- 3Water once a week in dry spells, since it does not like to dry out.
- 4Spread compost around the plants each spring, and that is all the feeding it needs.
- 5The flower stems can reach well over a metre, so stake them in windy spots.
- 6Snip off faded flowers before they drop seed, unless you want new plants popping up everywhere.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
150 cm
Mature Height
60 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
When to Pick
Dig the roots in autumn of the second year
How to Harvest
- 1Dig valerian roots in the fall of the second year, after the leaves start to die back.
- 2Lift the whole plant with a garden fork and shake off the soil.
- 3Cut the roots from the top of the plant, replant a piece with shoots if you want to keep it, and wash the roots well.
- 4Dry them slowly in a warm, airy spot until they snap, then store them in a sealed jar.
- 5Valerian root has long been made into a tea to help with sleep, but check with a doctor before using it, especially if you take other medicine.
- 6The dried roots smell strong, and cats love the scent.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
How to Save Seeds
Valerian grows true from seed and does not cross with other garden plants. The seeds ripen a few weeks after flowering, each with a fluffy tuft like a dandelion, so cut the heads into a paper bag as soon as the fluff appears or the wind will carry them off. Shake out the seeds and let them dry for a few days. They lose their power to sprout quickly, so sow them that fall or the next spring, and store any you keep in a labelled envelope somewhere cool, dark and dry.
Seed Production
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