Valerian

Valerian Valeriana officinalis (Fr. Valériane officinale) has been used for centuries in Europe by herbalists as a treatment for minor sleep problems. Scientific studies are divided about its efficacy over a placebo, and it does seem to be more effective taken fresh rather than as a dried powder. Personally, I'm a bit of a fan of it as a sleep aid when I have a migraine, but the smell is quite off-putting. 

A Valerian plant just coming into flower, surrounded by lots of seedlings.

It grows wild all over France, in damp woodland, grassland and along water courses and ditches. Usually about 40 cm tall, it can reach 2 metres. It is the root which contains the active substances, but the medicinal strength varies enormously, depending on growing conditions.

The quite distinctive leaves.

The plant is also cultivated in Anjou, just to our west, for the parapharmaceutical industry, and a lot of improvement to the selections grown has been achieved in the last few decades, increasing the quantity of active ingredients by more than 25%. About 50 hectares, two-thirds of French production, is under cultivation in Anjou.

'True' Valerian is not to be confused with Red Valerian Centranthus ruber, which quite by chance my fried Rosemary blogged about today [link], a great plant to have in the garden, very hardy, very attractive to insects such as Hummingbird Hawkmoths, but with no medicinal properties that I know of.

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UPDATE -- RESPONSES TO COMMENTS

chm -- now that you mention it, I had heard that French name for Red Valerian, but had forgotten it.