Red valerian

Questions about red valerian

Does red valerian need sun or shade?

Red valerian grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day).

It wants dry, sharply drained soil, on the lean side, with no feeding, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.

What zones does red valerian grow in?

USDA zones 5 to 8. It is hardy to zone 5, which means it survives winter nights down to about −10 °F (−23 °C).

Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does red valerian flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers late May to early September. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should red valerian be planted?

18 in (45 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 24 in (60 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 2½ ft (75 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many red valerian plants do I need?

At 18 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 5 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 7 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 17 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.

In the bed above, the planner used five in one group.

Is red valerian poisonous to dogs and cats?

No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.

"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.

Is there a native plant like red valerian?

Red valerian comes from Azores, S. Europe, NW. Africa. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:

• Blanket flower 'Burgundy': the same job in a bed, the same flowering time and the same colour; 6 in shorter.
• Yarrow: the same job in a bed, the same flowering time and the same colour; 6 in shorter, fine leaves, not medium.
• Gloriosa daisy: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers late June to mid September, wants average soil.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat red valerian?

They may. NC State does not list it as resistant to deer or rabbits. Where they visit, protect it, or plant it among ones they avoid.

Will red valerian spread?

It seeds itself about; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Self-seeds freely into walls, paving and gravel, and has naturalised in the western states. Remove the spent flowers to limit it.

What flowers after red valerian?

Red valerian is over by early September. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Garden chrysanthemum: from mid September to late October, 24 in tall.
• Bottle gentian: from late August to early October, 20 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Blue mistflower: from late August to mid October, 2½ ft tall.

What does red valerian look like in winter?

Red valerian dies down to the ground and there is nothing to see until spring. The old stems can be cut in autumn, or left until spring as shelter for overwintering insects.

Is red valerian good for bees and butterflies?

Red valerian is visited by pollinators and butterflies.