THE FACT that valerian is pretty, but also a pretty destructive, has been highlighted by readers.

After my piece on this attractive plant earlier in the year, Colin Beavis was among those who contacted me.

Colin sent me a photograph of the damage inflicted by a single plant on a stone wall at St Alban’s Church in Ventnor.

He also reminded me this plant has always been known on the Island as Ventnor Pride and wondered why.

Colin, and hopefully other readers, will be interested to know this Mediterranean import, first recorded in the wild in the UK in the mid 18th century, has a large number of regional names, given as the new plant grabbed toeholds throughout the land.

In those days, a plant with no name that spread rapidly by seed was given one by the communities in the areas where it appeared.

Its resemblance to lilac, and a lack of knowledge from whence it came, meant in the West Country it was American lilac, German laylock in Lincolnshire and wall lilac in Somerset.

I have personal knowledge of valerian and its sedative medicinal qualities going back to my dear old mum and dad, who were herbalists long before the practice ever became fashionable, and its effects probably led to the name drunkard’s nose in Somerset and drunkard’s willy (I know not why) in Devon.

It was called pride-of-Fowey, or maids-of-Fowey, in Cornwall, and on the Island it became Ventnor pride, although just when I haven’t been able to establish.

It will grow anywhere in poor, stony, well-drained ground, or in walls.

In walls, small plants can be teased out with a fork to limit damage to mortar and stonework.

Glyphosate can be applied to kill larger plants which drill their way in deeply and as their roots expand do their destructive worst.