SimplePlant

Caprifoliaceae

Common valerian

Valeriana officinalis L.

Family
Caprifoliaceae
Genus
Valeriana

Pets and kids

  • CatsNot sure
  • DogsNot sure
  • KidsNot sure
Why

Cats: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Dogs: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Kids: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for young children, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with a doctor or poison control.

Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.

Common valerian: Valerian with morning dew
Photo: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons

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Common names

By language (69)
Arabic
ناردين مخزني, حشيش القطة
Armenian
Կատվախոտ դեղատու
arz
ناردين مخزنى
azb
پیشیک اوْتو
Azerbaijani
Dərman pişikotu
ba
Бесәй үләне
Basque
Belar bedeinkatu
Belarusian
Валяр'ян лекавы
Bosnian
Odoljen
Bulgarian
Лечебна дилянка, Валериана
Catalan
Valeriana, Herba gatera
Central Kurdish
گیاکتکە
Chinese
纈草, 缬草, 宽叶缬草, 五里香, 大救驾, 媳妇菜, 小救驾, 拔地麻
Croatian
Valerijana
cv
Кушак ути
Czech
Kozlík lékařský, Valeriána
Danish
Læge-baldrian
Dutch
Echte valeriaan, Valeriaan
English
Common valerian, Garden valerian, Valerian
Estonian
Harilik palderjan, Palderjan
Finnish
Rohtovirmajuuri
French
Valériane officinale, Herbe aux Chats, Herbe de Saint-Georges, Herbe à la Femme Meurtrie, Valeriane officinale, Valériane des collines, Valériane sauvage, Valériane à petites feuilles
Galician
Herba benta
Georgian
Ვალერიანა
German
Echter Baldrian, Arzneibaldrian, Augenwurzel, Bullerjan, Hexenkraut, Katzenkraut, Katzenwargel, Mondwurz
Greek
Βαλεριάνα, Αγριοζαμπούκος
Hebrew
ולריאן רפואי, ולריאן
hsb
Lěkarski bałdrijan
Hungarian
Orvosi macskagyökér
Icelandic
Garðabrúða
Indonesian
Akar Valerian
Irish
Caorthann corraigh
Italian
Erba dei Gatti
Japanese
セイヨウカノコソウ, ケッソウ, バルドリアン, 吉草, 纈草
Javanese
Valerian
Kazakh
Tüýinşöp, Түйіншөп, ٴتۇيىنشوپ
Korean
설령쥐오줌풀
kw
Medhoges an gors
Kyrgyz
Мышык тамыр
Latvian
Ārstniecības baldriāns, Ārstnieciskais baldriāns
Lithuanian
Vaistinis valerijonas
Luxembourgish
Baldrian
Macedonian
Маче трева
myv
Боза тикше, Бозатикшебозатикше, Ормаменьксэнь каткамав тикше, Шумбрачинь максыця ормаменьксэнь тикше
Nepali
सुगन्धवाल
Norwegian Bokmål
Legevendelrot
olo
Rohtuvalerjuanu
Pashto
طبي والرين
Persian
سنبلالطیب, سنبل الطیب, سنبل طیب
Polish
Kozłek lekarski
Romanian
Valeriană
Russian
Валериана лекарственная, Валерианы лекарственной корневища с корнями, Валерьянка, Валерьяновые капли, Корневища с корнями валерианы
sah
Эмтээх валериана
Serbian
Одољен, Odoljen, Macina trava, Makebohija, Valerianaofficinalis, Valerijana, Валериан
Serbian (Latin)
Valerijana, Macina trava, Odolen, Odoljen
sgs
Valerėjuons
Slovak
Valeriána lekárska
Slovenian
Zdravilna špajka, Ajdina, Baldrijan, Božjastnica, Božji bič, Hajdina, Hajdovka, Mačja trava
Spanish
Alfeñique, Balenziana, Baleriana, Hierba o yerba de los gatos, Valeriana
Swedish
Läkevänderot, Vendelört, Äkta vänderot
Tajik
Нардсунбул
Turkish
Kedi otu
tyv
Валерьянка
udm
Писэйтурын
Ukrainian
Валеріана лікарська
Urdu
والیریان
Vietnamese
Nữ lang
Welsh
Triaglog gyffredin
wuu
缬草

Synonyms

  • Valeriana alternifolia Bunge
  • Valeriana alternifolia f. angustifolia (Kom.) Kitag.
  • Valeriana alternifolia f. verticillata (Kom.) S.X.Li
  • Valeriana alternifolia subsp. pseudocoreana Vorosch.
  • Valeriana alternifolia subsp. stubendorfiana (Sumn.) Vorosch.
  • Valeriana alternifolia subsp. stubendorfii (Kreyer ex Kom.) Vorosch.
  • Valeriana alternifolia var. angustifolia (Kom.) S.H.Li
  • Valeriana baltica Pleijel
  • Valeriana chinensis Kreyer ex Komarov
  • Valeriana coreana subsp. pseudoumbrosa (Vorosch.) Vorosch.
  • Valeriana dahurica Sumnev.
  • Valeriana elodea Sumnev.
  • Valeriana exaltata J.C.Mikan ex Pohl
  • Valeriana jacutica Sumnev.
  • Valeriana kuminoviana Sumnev.
  • Valeriana leiocarpa Kitag.
  • Valeriana lucida DC.
  • Valeriana lyratifolia Sumnev.
  • Valeriana major Pall.
  • Valeriana multiceps Wallr.
  • Valeriana nipponica Nakai ex Kitag.
  • Valeriana officinalis subsp. baltica (Pleijel) Á.Löve & D.Löve
  • Valeriana officinalis subsp. exaltata (J.C.Mikan ex Pohl) Soó
  • Valeriana officinalis var. alternifolia (Bunge) Ledeb.
  • Valeriana officinalis var. angustifolia Miq.
  • Valeriana officinalis var. latifolia Briq.
  • Valeriana officinalis var. officinalis
  • Valeriana officinalis var. sarkanyi Soó
  • Valeriana pseudofficinalis C.Y.Cheng & H.B.Chen
  • Valeriana pseudoumbrosa Vorosch.
  • Valeriana sinensis J.F.Gmel.
  • Valeriana stubendorfiana Sumnev.
  • Valeriana stubendorfii Kreyer ex Kom.
  • Valeriana stubendorfii f. angustifolia Kom.
  • Valeriana subbipinnatifolia A.I.Baranov
  • Valeriana transbaicalensis Sumnev.
  • Valeriana vulgaris Bubani

Characteristics

Growth habit
Forb/herb
Lifespan
Perennial
In the US and Canada
Canada: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced

Photos

More in Valeriana

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.