Taxon Report

Valeriana occidentalis Heller

western valerian

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Valeriana occidentalis, commonly known as western valerian, is a perennial rhizomatous herb in the Valerianaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Lower montane coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 1500 to 1800 meters. Valeriana occidentalis is ranked 2B.3, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Not very threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Valeriana occidentalis Heller
Common Name:	western valerian
Family:	Valerianaceae
Element Code:	PDVAL03080
USDA Plants Symbol:	VAOC2
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial rhizomatous herb
Blooming Period: Jun-Aug	Jun-Aug
Elevation:	1500-1800 (4920-5905)
General Habitats:	Lower montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.3
Global Rank:	G5
State Rank:	S1
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.3 to 2B.3 on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	1
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	1

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Modoc (MOD)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Fort Bidwell (4112072), Sugar Hill (4112073)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	0
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	0	%

Notes



Known in CA only from the Warner Mtns. See Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 25:269 (1898) for original description, and Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 38:415-417 (1951) for taxonomic treatment.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Valeriana occidentalis profile for potential Species of Conservation Concern evaluation (2017)

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 10 November 2025].