Valeriana officinalis otherwise known as Valerian is a hardy perennial that produces sweetly fragranced pink or white flowers on hollow and erect, hairy stems.
The perfume of the flowers can be quite overpowering when it is cut and brought indoors.
For the gardener, Valerian is a tall border plant, preferring a partly shaded location which blooms from late spring through to late summer. The fragrance emitted attract many types of flies, bees and butterflies to the garden as well as cats.
Valerian is extremely frost hardy being able to withstand very cold winters.
Good for mixed borders - towards the middle to rear, rockeries or larger pots and planters, bringing the sweet fragrance onto the patio.