Red Valerian
Red Valerian, Ham Hill, Somerset
On a wall, Lancaster
Young floret showing single stamen
Older florets showing single stamens
Corolla-tube with spur and ovary (below spur)
Seed pods and pappus
Leaves
White form
Wall damage
Centranthus ruber
Caprifoliaceae
April to October, although some may flower all through
a mild winter.
It is found throughout the country, but is mainly coastal
in the far North.
See the BSBI distribution map for Red Valerian
It is a neophyte which was grown as a garden plant
from the 1590s onward and has been recognised as
a naturalised escape since the 1760s.
It grows on walls, sea-cliffs, rocks and waste land and
brownfield sites, especially near the coast.
It can cause a great deal of damage to walls. Picture 9
shows the sawn-off section through the base of a Red
Valerian stem.
The stem is about 10cm across and has forced sections
of the stone wall apart.
Red Valerian is a robust, fleshy, perennial herb growing
up to 80cm.
The flower heads are quite large rounded pyramids, dark
pink to red and occasionally white.
Individual flowers are 5mm across and have a thin
corolla-tube with a spur.
There is a single stamen, which ripens before the ovary
(protandrous).
Pollination is by lepidoptera with long proboscises.
The ovaries develop into ewer-shaped seed pods and
seeds are wind-distributed by a pappus.
The leaves are pointed ovals that are usually grey-green
(sometimes green).
The upper leaves are unstalked.
Although attractive, it can be a persistent weed and cause
a lot of damage.
The stems arise for years from roots, which you think
you have already killed.
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Red Valerian, Ham Hill, Somerset
On a wall, Lancaster
Young floret showing single stamen
Older florets showing single stamens
Corolla-tube with spur and ovary (below spur)
Seed pods and pappus
Leaves
White form
Wall damage
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