Red valerian

Discuss this plant with the guide — choose this profile as a possible match and prepare your observations for Colorado Plants & Practical Care.

Centranthus ruber

Introduced drought-tolerant ornamental. N-centranthus-ruber

Self-seeds beyond garden beds. Native status, garden use and noxious-weed class are separate from toxicity. Exposure help.

Identification caveat: The retrieved NC State source now treats Centranthus ruber as Valeriana rubra. The familiar garden name is retained for discovery; it is not Valeriana officinalis.

Still researching this plant

This is a sourced working profile. Evidence is incomplete for People, Dogs & cats, Other animals. Identification and source-photo limits are explained below. Independent botanical and veterinary review is pending. Uncertainty is not a finding that the plant is safe.

Three views of this plant

Photos are source-identified examples, not a complete identification key. Check leaves, stems, flowers and fruit together. Locations are not assumed to be in Colorado.

**habit** — Upright stem with opposite smooth leaves and several pink-red flower clusters on a rocky slope.
Robert Flogaus-Faust · CC BY 4.0
Photo source and identification
Original record · Original image
Source-supported identification with visual consistency check Photo selection verifies source labeling and visible consistency; it is not an independent specimen determination.
Downloaded source thumbnail; no further pixel edits. Gallery display preserves the full image; the catalog preview uses a CSS crop.

**leaf and flower** — Smooth upright stem with opposite lance-shaped leaves and pink flower clusters in bud and bloom.
Christian Ferrer · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo source and identification
Original record · Original image
Source-supported identification with visual consistency check Photo selection verifies source labeling and visible consistency; it is not an independent specimen determination.
Downloaded source thumbnail; no further pixel edits. Gallery display preserves the full image; the catalog preview uses a CSS crop.

**flower and fruit** — White tubular flowers alongside a fruit with a spreading feathery plume.
Forest & Kim Starr · CC BY 3.0
Photo source and identification
Original record · Original image
Source-supported identification with visual consistency check Photo selection verifies source labeling and visible consistency; it is not an independent specimen determination.
Downloaded source thumbnail; no further pixel edits. Gallery display preserves the full image; the catalog preview uses a CSS crop.

Recognize

Clusters of small red, pink or white flowers above opposite, fleshy leaves. N-centranthus-ruber

Plants & habitat

Wind-dispersed seed can naturalize beyond a garden. Deadheading reduces spread; drought tolerance is not evidence that a plant is ecologically suitable everywhere. N-centranthus-ruber

People

This guide does not assess ingestion safety or medicinal use. This is an evidence gap, not proof of safety.

Dogs & cats

Species-specific ingestion effects and exposure thresholds were not established in the reviewed sources. This is an evidence gap, not proof of safety.

Other animals

Species-specific ingestion effects and exposure thresholds were not established in the reviewed sources. This is an evidence gap, not proof of safety.

Before taking action

Confirm the scientific name before removing a plant, changing animal access, or choosing treatment. An evidence gap means this review has not resolved the question. It does not mean safe. For listed weeds, consult your county weed program about the requirements for your location; follow the current label for any pesticide. S27

References

N-centranthus-ruber — Centranthus ruber — Plant Toolbox, NC State Extension. Accessed 2026-09-07T00:23:59+00:00. Locator: Description, Attributes, Poisonous to Humans, Problems.

Content revised 2026-09-07 02:43:00Z · Source checks dated separately in the references.