Tinctura valerianae Valerian tincture 30ml (Valeriana officinalis) WILDCRAFT

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is a perennial flowering plant (Caprifoliaceae) with heads of sweetly scented pink or white flowers that bloom in the summer and can reach a height of 150 cm. 

The roots tend to merge into a short, conical root-stock or erect rhizome, the development of which often proceeds for several years before a flowering stem is sent up, but slender horizontal branches which terminate in buds are given off earlier, and from these buds proceed aerial shoots or stolons, which produce fresh plants where they take root. Only one stem arises from the root, which attains a height of 80-100 cm. It is round, but grooved and hollow, more or less hairy, especially near the base. It terminates in two or more pairs of flowering stems, each pair being placed at right angles to those above and below it. The lower flowering stems lengthen so as to place their flowers nearly or often quite on a level with the flowers borne by the upper branches, forming a broad and flattened cluster at the summit, called a cyme. The leaves are arranged in pairs and are united at their bases. Each leaf is made up of a series of lance-shaped segments, more or less opposite to one another on each side of the leaf (pinnate). The leaflets vary very much in number, from six to ten pairs as a rule, and vary also in breadth, being broad when few in number and narrower when more numerous; they are usually 5-8 cm long. The margins are indented by a few coarsely-cut teeth. The upper surface is strongly veined, the under surface is paler and frequently more or less covered with short, soft hairs. The leaves on the stem are attached by short, broad sheaths, the radical leaves are larger and long-stemmed and the margins more toothed.

The flowers are in bloom from June to September. They are small, tinged with pink and flesh colour, with a somewhat peculiar, but not exactly unpleasant smell. The corolla is tubular, and from the midst of its lobes rise the stamens, only three in number, though there are five lobes to the corolla. The limb of the calyx is remarkable for being at first inrolled and afterwards expanding in the form of a feathery pappus, which aids the dissemination of the fruit. The fruit is a capsule containing one oblong compressed seed. Apart from the flowers, the whole plant has a foetid smell, much accentuated when bruised.

The root also contains two alkaloids: chatarine and valerianine - which are still under investigation and concerning which little is known, except that they form crystalline salts. There are also a glucoside, alkaloid and resin all physiologically active, discovered in the fresh rhizome by Chevalier as recently as 1907. He claims that the fresh root is of greater medicinal value than the dry on this account.

Because of the calming effect, it is used as a natural sedative since the 19th century. Valerian flower extracts were used as a perfume. However, valerian root, which is used in the treatment, has a strong and unpleasant odor. Fragrance root, due to acidity which it contains, has an especially strong effect on cats. It has a a pheromonal effect on them, so they are literally hypnotized.

If your life is full of stress, you are exhausted and you cannot sleep, reach for Valerian for better health and good mood.

Valerian is used primarily for the treatment of insomnia, as it allows the firm and stout dream. One of its strengths is that it does not cause drowsiness, such as pharmaceuticals for sleep. Another advantage is its calming effect, which removes tension and agitation, and alleviates depression. Valerian is therefore used as a natural alternative to pharmaceutical drugs of the benzodiazepine class, and also helps you stop using such drugs. In Germany, valerian is officially approved for treating insomnia, nervousness and anxiety, and some phytotherapist recommend it for treating hypochondria.