Valerianaceae

Valerian Family

Valerian

FAMILY: Valerian family (Valerianaceae) – Valeriana genus. This genus is sometimes placed in the pink family (Caryophyllaceae) or the honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae).

SPECIES: Edible valerian or tobacco root (Valeriana edulis Nutt. ex Torr. & A. Gray).

TO UTILIZE AS FOOD: The thick, fleshy roots of edible valerian are edible, but very strong-flavored. Other parts are inedible. Traditionally, Native Americans cooked the roots for 12 to 24 hours. The long cooking time reduces the bitter flavor and powerful aroma, but no amount of cooking can really subdue these roots. Freshly dug roots are white with brown skins. Peeling the skins is unnecessary. After preparation, the roots turn blackish-brown and acquire a flavor identical to commercially available valerian roots sold for making tea. Since the flavor is so overpowering, the roots should be cooked alone. Boiling seems to produce better results than baking, though a combination of the two may prove best. If the roots are boiled, the tea/wastewater will be dark brown. “Valere” is the old Roman word for courage and “edulis” means edible. Indeed, only the courageous would dare to eat this plant! Taste is always a matter of opinion, but edible valerian roots are definitely not among the better wild foods. Since edible valerian is perennial, the roots can be gathered anytime. Of course, finding the roots is easier when the plants are in bloom. Field identification is also easier when the plants are in bloom, which is anytime from late spring to early autumn. In the Southwest, edible valerian prefers moist mountain meadows. Overall, edible valerian is a poor-quality wild food.

NOTES: The edible valerian field assessments were based primarily on colonies from the remote Currant Mountains in central Nevada. Considering all the harsh words that other authors used to describe the roots, I wasn’t expecting the roots to be very good. Acquiring a few roots was easy, and only a few were needed since they were large. I cooked the roots for about an hour and changed the water twice during that time. After one bite, I promptly realized that these roots would need additional cooking, but even after hours of boiling followed by hours of baking they were a long way from palatable. Experiences like this really clarify what authors mean when they say things like, “it has an acquired flavor,” so don’t be misled by the name edible valerian. Just because something is edible doesn’t mean it’s fit for consumption. In addition to the Currant Mountain colonies, I tried these roots in the White Mountains of south-central New Mexico. Roots from this latter location were substantially better, but still unappealing. Roots from a related European species called common valerian (V. officinalis) are available in health food stores that sell herbs. Valerian roots are commonly used to make a relaxing tea.

IDENTIFICATION: The Valeriana genus is represented by 10-15 species in the United States, of which only 5 grow in the Southwest.

Description of edible valerian (Valeriana edulis): FORM strong-scented plant about 3-12 dm tall from thick taproots; generally not rhizomatous; LEAVES simple; basal and opposite; blades oblanceolate to deeply pinnately divided with conspicuous veins running parallel to the midveins; bases of basal leaves gradually tapering to the stalks; surfaces hairless; FLOWERS regular, perfect or imperfect, ovary inferior, and arranged in clusters (determinant cymes forming panicles); calyx segments 7-13, initially inconspicuous and involute, eventually becoming feathery in fruit; corollas 5-lobed, bell- or funnel-shaped, white (or tinted green, yellow, or pink), and swollen at the bases; styles 1; stigmas 3-lobed; stamens 3; FRUITS achenes with conspicuous, feathery, pappus-like bristles; HABITAT moist mountain meadows, fields, open woodlands, and stream sides; throughout most of the West; blooming June to September.

REFERENCES: Edible valerian (Valeriana edulis): roots Blankenship (p. 26), Couplan (p. 407), Harrington (pp. 225-227), Moerman (p. 270), Murphey (p. 16), Saunders (1976 p. 16), Sturtevant (1986 p. 293), and others.