Valeriana phu aka Turkey Valerian

Valeriana phu belongs to the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae. It is a perennial, so it lives for several years. It comes from northern Türkiye, where the climate is temperate. People call it golden spikenard, Cretan spikenard, and garden valerian. It is not native to Britain or Ireland. In the wild, it grows on rocky slopes. Kew calls it a perennial or a rhizomatous geophyte. This means it can live on through an underground stem.

Plants For A Future gives this species a small size. It grows about 1.3 feet (0.4 metres) tall and wide. It blooms in August and suits planted garden beds. Each flower has both male and female organs. Insects move pollen from one flower to the next. The sources give no leaf or flower colours for this species. They do not describe its fruit or name specific pests.

This plant grows in plain garden soil but prefers good soil. It accepts sand, loam, and clay soils. The ground can be mildly acid, neutral, or mildly alkaline. Grow it in sun or part shade. Soil can be dry or moist. Plants cope with drought once they have settled in. One reported planting thrived in dry shade by a north-facing wall. The evidence gives no exact rating for winter hardiness. Sow seeds in spring in a cold frame. Give them a thin cover, since light helps them sprout. Divide plants in spring. Grow small divisions under cover at first.

People have long grown this species for use as medicine. Reported uses aim to calm and ease muscle spasms. These records do not prove benefits or show safe doses. Plants For A Future urges care with use as medicine. It lists seeds as edible but gives no steps for preparing them. Leaves serve as a condiment, and the plant makes herbal tea. The source states that tea use should be moderate. Oil from roots and leaves adds flavour to foods, including baked goods. These uses do not prove that every plant part is safe.

The same oil also has a use in perfume. Dried roots draw rats and have served as lure bait. The plant is part of a mixed-herb compost activator. Gardeners also use it to make liquid plant feed. Plants For A Future says that it draws earthworms. That source records no weed potential for this species.