Greek Valerian
Polemonium reptans

Other Names: Abscess Root, Blue Bells, Jacob's Ladder, Creeping Jacob's Ladder, False Jacob's Ladder, Greek Valerian, Onechte Jacobsladder, Polemonie Fausse, Sweatroot

Habitat: (Polemonium reptans) A perennial native herb found growing in rich woods, damp ground and along shady river banks in Eastern N. America from New York to Minnesota, south to Kansas and Georgia. Cultivation: Greek Valerian is easily cultivated from seed or root division, it prefers moist, well drained, sandy soil in a shady position. It has slender, 12 to 20 inches high with creeping roots, and can multiply very quickly. The stems are erect and multiple, as many as 10 to one plant they are branched and grow to 12 inches high. Leaves form a rosette at the base, and grow in alternate pairs on the stem, they are pinnately divided with six to eight opposite, smooth, entire, sessile, ovate-lanceolate, leaflets. The nodding, blue to purple flowers grow in loose, terminal clusters. Greek Valerian flowers bloom from March to May. Gather roots in fall, whole plants in spring. Dry for later herb use. The flowers are edible, taste good in salad.

Properties: Greek Valerian is used in alternative medicine, the roots are alterative, astringent, cathartic, diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant, sudorific and pectoral. Plant constituents include Saponins and Tannins making it useful as a skin wash for inflamed sores. Taken as an infusion with water or as a medicinal tincture with alcohol, in the treatment of lung complaints, coughs, colds, bronchitis, laryngitis, tuberculosis, feverish and inflammatory diseases, including abscess and skin conditions. A decoction of the plant is used as a hair rinse.

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Folklore: Formerly used internally in the treatment of a wide range of conditions ranging from headaches to fevers, snake bites, and epilepsy-Culpepper says of it:

'It is under Mercury, and is alexipharmic, sudorific, and cephalic, and useful in malignant fevers and pestilential distempers; it helps in nervous complaints, headaches, trembling, palpitations of the heart, vapours, etc. It is good in hysteric cases, and epilepsies have been cured by the use of this herb.'

The plant is rarely used in herbalism today.

Because Greek Valerian has a smell that attracts cats it was believed by witch hunters to be planted only by witches for the pleasure of their familiars. It was also used for the bites of venomous snakes and insects.

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Infusion: Add 1 tsp. dried root to 1 cup water steep for 10 min. take in tbls. doses throughout the day, for coughs, colds, congestion.