🌸 Lubelski Valerian

Valeriana officinalis 'Lubelski'
The thick-rooted valerian: a high-yielding field cultivar with thick roots, the valerian grown for harvest weight.
Sun
Part shade to full sun
Days to harvest
Roots in fall of year 1 or spring of year 2
Spacing
36 inches apart
Soil pH
5.5-7.0
Zones
Zones 4-9

What it looks like

Valeriana officinalis (species) — Spotted longhorn (Rutpela maculata) female on common valerian (Valeriana officinalis) Ruggeller Riet
Valeriana officinalis, the species (no verified photo of 'Lubelski' itself exists). Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Valeriana officinalis (species) — Valeriana officinalis (5973194936)
Valeriana officinalis, the species (no verified photo of 'Lubelski' itself exists). Photo: Franco Folini from San Francisco, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Valeriana officinalis (species) — Valeriana officinalis (Habitus)
Valeriana officinalis, the species (no verified photo of 'Lubelski' itself exists). Photo: Christian Hummert (Ixitixel), CC BY-SA 3.0.

Why this variety

Lubelski is a thick-rooted field cultivar of common valerian, selected for high yields of underground parts, which is the crop when valerian is grown for its roots. In field comparisons Lubelski gave heavier root harvests than thin-rooted types, though with a somewhat lower concentration of active substances, which is the classic yield-versus-potency trade in medicinal crops. For a home gardener growing valerian for the root harvest, Lubelski gives more to harvest, and that matters when the harvest is the point.

Above ground Lubelski is the familiar valerian: tall, 3 to 5 feet, with pinnate leaves and clusters of sweetly scented white-to-pink flowers in late spring that bees love, while the roots, famously, smell like old socks. Grow it in rich, moist, well-drained loam, at the back of the bed where its height belongs, and harvest roots in fall of the first year or spring of the second, when the plant is dormant and the roots are at their fullest.

If you are new to choosing between cultivars, the Varieties Matter guide explains why the name after the plant matters as much as the plant itself. Lubelski is a perfect example: it is not just a valerian in the abstract, it is a valerian with a specific job, a specific history, and specific strengths.

Florida framing, stated plainly: valerian is a North Florida trial, zones 4-9, and it wants cool, moist soil that Florida summers do not naturally provide. Give Lubelski afternoon shade, steady moisture, and rich soil, and expect it to go dormant early in heat, because valerian sulks in drought and a Florida summer is a long drought of cool weather.

How to grow

Start from fresh seed, less than a year old, indoors a month before transplanting, or sow outdoors in fall or early spring, covering seed lightly, because old valerian seed barely germinates. Set plants at the back of the bed in part shade to full sun and rich, moist, well-drained loam, work worm castings into the bed at planting, and space 36 inches apart. Water steadily, because drought makes valerian sulk and go dormant early, and fence plants if cats are enthusiasts, because cats roll in valerian.

Set plants 36 inches apart in soil with a pH around 5.5-7.0. Work worm castings into the bed at planting and mulch to hold moisture. A well-fed valerian plant rewards that care directly: steadier growth, better bloom or fruit, and a show that actually shows up.

Water & feeding

Keep soil consistently moist, about an inch to an inch and a half a week in dry weather; drought makes valerian sulk and go dormant early. Water at the soil line, mulch to hold moisture, and feed lightly: castings at planting plus a spring top-dress. Harvest roots when dormant, dry them promptly and thoroughly, and keep cats away from drying roots, because cats roll in valerian.

Common problems

  • CATS — cats roll in valerian like catnip and wreck plants and drying trays; fence plants and dry roots where cats cannot reach.
  • EARLY DORMANCY in heat — valerian goes dormant early in hot weather; in Florida, expect a short season, not a summer perennial.
  • SELF-SEEDING — valerian self-sows freely; deadhead if you do not want volunteers, or edit seedlings in spring.
  • MOLDY ROOTS if dried slowly — valerian roots mold when dried slowly; dry them promptly and thoroughly in a warm, airy place.
  • SEED VIABILITY — old valerian seed barely germinates; use seed less than a year old, or buy fresh plants.

Harvest

Harvest roots in fall of the first year or spring of the second, when the plant is dormant, digging the whole root system and washing it thoroughly. Dry roots promptly and thoroughly in a warm, airy place, because slow drying molds them, and keep cats away from drying roots, because cats roll in valerian. Do not harvest heavily from young plants, because the plant needs its first season to establish, and do not use harvested root medicinally without talking to a clinician first.

Nerdy fact: Valerian’s root smell is not a defect: the compounds that make the roots smell like old socks are the same valerenic acids and valepotriates that herbal medicine values, which is why the flowers smell like heaven and the roots smell like a gym bag.

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Saving seeds

Lubelski is a thick-rooted field landrace of common valerian, selected for heavy root harvests, and as a seed-maintained landrace it comes true from seed — though as a population, individual plants will vary a little in root size and potency. Start from fresh seed, less than a year old, indoors a month before transplanting or sow outdoors in fall or early spring, covering seed lightly, and harvest roots in fall of the first year or spring of the second. The full method is in the Saving seeds section of the Valerian guide.