About Valeriana sitchensis Bong.
Valeriana sitchensis Bong. is a species of valerian commonly called Sitka valerian. It is native to northwestern North America, ranging from Alaska and northern Canada south through Montana to northern California. It grows in many types of habitat, including moist mountain forests, and it is often one of the most common plants found in moist subalpine meadows.
This is a rhizomatous perennial herb that produces a stout, erect stem that reaches a maximum height of around 70 centimeters, though it can sometimes exceed one meter in height. Its leaves vary in size and shape, and they often have deep lobes or are divided into several leaflets. The inflorescence is a cyme that holds many white or pink-tinged flowers, each less than one centimeter wide. Each flower has five corolla lobes and three whiskery stamens that protrude from its center.
Native Americans cooked and ate the roots of this plant, which have an unpleasant scent. Some Native American tribes also pounded the roots to prepare a poultice.
