Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Valeriana sitchensis is a species of valerian known by the common name Sitka valerian. It is native to northwestern North America from Alaska and northern Canada to Montana to northern California, where it grows in many types of habitat, including moist mountain forests. In moist subalpine meadows, it is often one of the most common plants. This is a rhizomatous perennial herb producing a stout, erect stem to about 70 centimeters in maximum height, but known to exceed one meter at times. The leaves vary in size and shape, often having deep lobes or being composed of several leaflets. The inflorescence is a cyme of many white or pink-tinged flowers, each under a centimeter wide. The flower has five corolla lobes and three whiskery stamens protruding from the center. Media related to Valeriana sitchensis at Wikimedia Commons

Plant type

Perennial herb

Size

2 ft Tall

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Color

Pink, White

Sun

Partial Shade

Site type

Wet places

Plant communities

Douglas-Fir Forest, Mixed Evergreen Forest, Red Fir Forest, Wetland-Riparian