Jacob's Ladder

Polemonium reptans

Native to: New York and further south/west

Life cycle: Perennial

Light: Full Sun to Full Shade

Soil Moisture: Medium-Wet to Medium-Dry

Height: 10-16”
Spacing: 6-12”

Blooms: April-June
Bloom Color: Blue

Natural Habitat: Man-made habitats, meadows and fields, woodlands and woodland edges

Benefits: Pollinator Favorite, Deer/Rabbit Resistant, Benefits Other Wildlife/Pollinators, Fragrant

“Like many spring blooming natives, the bloom time on Jacob’s Ladder is short but sweet. The few short weeks in April or May that the flowers appear, the plant will be covered in blooms that range from shades of pink to blue. Jacob’s Ladder will grow in full sun if it has adequate moisture, but it prefers woodlands (almost full shade) and woodland edges (partial shade.) A mature plant will only reach heights of 1’ and is deer resistant.”

– Prairie Moon Nursery

“P. reptans stems are covered in numerous, small leaflets, which grow exactly opposite one another, giving each stem the ladder-like appearance which lends the plant its common name (Jacob’s ladder). Blue-purple flowers bloom profusely in spring.”

– Native Plant Trust

Featured image by Judson Collins on iNaturalist, CC-0/Public Domain, no rights reserved.