[sion01]

Does anybody know what young valerian leaves look like.I planted loads of herb seeds in smal trays in spring just in time for the gales to knock the greenhouse over.I managed to salvage some seedlings but the labels were all over the place .I've nursed and identified goats rue,sage,lemon balm,alpine strawberry etc etc but there was one that I deducted must be a valerian but by now its got leaves that look slightly like a ranunculus or a geranium and the stems are slightly hairy .The leaves are devided in to three lobes a bit like the ranunculus flora pleno i've got in the garden .I'm slightly worried that i've grown on a blooming buttercup    

[arugula]

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Valeriana_officinalis.jpg

[sion01]

It's definetly not a valerian i've just potted on then

[arugula]

Oops!

[Goosegirl]

Definitely none of those! Looks like a fern or a Butcher's Broom - but prefer the first option as the common polypody fern - I have one, slowly spreads in any partly-shaded site, nice ground cover plant.

[Spana]

Thats funny, it doesn't look like the Valerian that i have either, altho the flowers look about right. Did a search and all the plants look like argyllie's picture. So what is it i'm growing

[jhub]

I'm growing the same plant Spana and I also thought it was valerian.

[Goosegirl]

Argyllie's Wikipedia pic is wrong - that is not a valerian plant. Spana's pic definitely looks like white valerian.

[Spana]

Argyllie's Wikipedia pic is wrong - that is not a valerian plant. Spana's pic definitely looks like white valerian.

But if you google valerian all the plants look like the one argyllie posted

[arugula]

Argyllie's Wikipedia pic is wrong - that is not a valerian plant. Spana's pic definitely looks like white valerian.

But if you google valerian all the plants look like the one argyllie posted

It isn't MY Wiki plant GG. Its one absolutely anybody could have looked up.

[spottymint]

The valarian I know is this,

http://wildflowerfinder.org.uk/Flowers/V/Valerian(Red)/Valerian(Red)_2005_06_25_FurnessVale114.jpg

http://wildflowerfinder.org.uk/Flowers/V/Valerian(Red)/Valerian(Red)_2005_05_04_OffasDyke_014.jpg

Centranthus , however, common Valarian brings up this,

http://wildflowerfinder.org.uk/Flowers/V/Valerian%28Common%29/Valerian%28Common%29.htm

Top one could be your plant, although Argylle's pic looks like Polmonium (jacobs ladder) to me

[mumofstig]

I agree, we call it Valerian (red or white) but it's proper name is Centranthus also red or white

[Spana]

Phew, thats that sorted then

[mumofstig]

sort of 

[Goosegirl]

Mea culpa - I knew Centranthus and Valerian were generally called Valerian, but I have never seen a Centranthus plant, so presumed it looked similar. I apologise Argyllie - didn't mean it was actually YOUR plant, but the one you posted the pic of in your reply. Wrists slapped - I live and learn.