PlantFiles: Jupiter's Beard, Keys to Heaven, Red Valerian
Centranthus ruber

Easily grown from seed; may even bloom the first year (mine did.) Produces rosy-red, fragrant flowers in clusters 2-3 inches across from June-October. The flowers attract bees and butterflies. Self seeds vigorously; should be deadheaded to encourage re-bloom. May not bloom as vigorously in the heat of the South.

On the downside, it tends to flop - perhaps a full-sun site, with lower plants to help prop it up would help.

Can be invasive in mild climates, such as Sunset Zone 24 in the coastal areas of southern California (U.S.) Helpful to cut it often and remove volunteers. This is a beautiful flower, lovely cut flower (for one day) but it will grow through concrete and thrive on benign neglect. In Sunset Zones 7 and 8, the heat beats it up somewhat and is lovely and quite manageable. I am wondering how it will do in Zone 1...

Also available in white.

Too floppy for me, moved it to various locations with no notice of better habit. Scent and flowers not enough for me to keep it going either. This is it's last season ):

Well, I'm going to say neutral so far - it is my first year with this plant. I purchased them from Bluestone Perennials and planted them Spring 2003. I found the stems tended to lay on the ground while the blooms stood upright.

I posted to the DG forums, asking others for their experience with this plant, and found that the folks who answered had experiences similar to mine.

I don't mind it laying around, but I think I'll try pinching it back next year to see what happens.

I have grown this plant for about three years, and I am not impressed with it. There is little scent and the flowers are not that impressive. I have replanted it once but I will not continue with it. It does come back every year, and, if deadheaded the flowers will repeat, but it just does not do very well in central Texas.

I have heard the roots are good for the soil... fixing nitrogen maybe? Anyway, the plant is invasive here. I once cut the flowers because they looked so pretty. Then I could figure out what that smell was. Aha! The cut flowers smell like cat pee!

Valerian root is a potent herb. Please be careful.

This lovely plant thrives in the Pacific Northwest. It blooms thru the Summer and Fall. So far this Fall, it has withstood several frosts in the 25-30 degree range. The foliage is still green and the plant appears healthy.

It is "invasive". One sees it all over England growing in the wild.

Still, we feel that it is a wonderful part of our garden.

Doing fantastically well at taking over whole sections of my garden here in South Australia. Our temperatures vary from around 0 in winter with mild frosts (32F) right up to 47 (116F) in summer and it copes very well in full sun and full shade even in these temperatures.

Centranthus grows wild all over the San Francisco Bay area. Some botanists that I know say that is native to this area. It comes in red, pink, and white. It's such a joy to see hills and fields overflowing with these festive flowers.

Sprawling and invasive, best suited where chaos is desirable. Although it reseeds regularly, I have not found that the seedlings are difficult to remove - thinning once or twice a year doesn't seem like that bad a chore. It will smother less aggressive companions. In our dry conditions (New Mexico), I have seen it used, strangely but effectively, with red yucca - the colors blend nicely, and the valerian can't overwhelm the yucca because it needs a lot more water.

I don't really like this plant as it is too invasive. It invades my whole garden, including the concrete paths. It appears through the cracks in them. Self seeds readily. drought tolerant and has pretty intense red or pink flowers. When pulling it out of the ground if you do not get every piece of root out bad luck, quadtriple the amount of plants turn up. Great for a place where it can be easily controlled or and open field so it can naturalise. Not for the average garden, especially not the smaller ones. pokerboy.

Centranthus ruber is NOT "too invasive" in the Reno-Sparks, NV region. It does reseed moderately, and spreads a little, but it's nothing that can't be controlled by a quick tug on plants that emerge where they shouldn't. It's far less invasive than Euphorbia 'Chameleon', for example. It tolerates dryish clay soil and shade, so even though it's not the most beautiful of perennials, it rates as "very serviceable", and grows where little else will.

I find that few plants are perfect for all conditions & all have something that aren't right for us, but I love Centranthus ruber. I like the look of a semi-wild or informal garden & the ease with which it grows suits me perfectly. Given a bright sunny location, I don't find it sprawls that much. Perhaps the soil is too rich for those who find this or it doesn't get enough hours of sun? Trimming the plants back & weeding out weak plants help keep it bushier. It looks particularly nice as a background plant with other low flowering plants in front. Butterflies & bees love it & I love to help them out as it's still flowering when most other flowers are finishing.

jermainiac mentioned that valerian root is a potent herb but this is not the same plant. While Centranthus is called red valerian, it's not the same as true valerian which has white flowers. Nor does this draw every cat in the neighbourhood to roll on the ground where the roots are like true valerian does.

I like this plant because it does really well under a maple tree where many other plants die. I have not found it invasive there, though it does do some easy to control self-seeding.

Other names for it are Drunken Sailor, Fox's Brush, and Pretty Betsy. My information says it is hardy in zones 4-11.

Just planted it this year - and agree it is a "takeover" plant. I have cut back pretty agressively as I have a small space. Intend to relocate it to an area where it may roam freely and provide better service to my landscape as a filler.

HI! Ive had this plant for almost five years. It grows great in my droughty conditions. Its a short lived plant, but there are always new seedlings to replace it. It does reseed profusley, but I have no trouble just plucking up the unwanted seedlings. The flowers do smell bad, as do the roots. By the way I think its relitive Valerian officinals is the one that was an herb, I believe it was used as a seditive.

This plant is very hard to get rid of if you do not want it. Besides seeds, it can grow back if enough root is in the ground.

This plant is very prolific and has a tendency to spread rapidly;hence will fill in a barren area.However, in warmer zones will show invasive properties.I have experience with this plant in Wichita, Kansas as well as in California.