Polemonium reptans (Creeping Jacobs Ladder)
Polemonium reptans (Creeping Jacob’s Ladder) is an attractive wildflower boasting loose, terminal clusters of light blue to purple, bell-shaped flowers on sprawling, weak stems from mid-spring to early summer.
Polemonium reptans (Creeping Jacob's Ladder) is an attractive wildflower boasting loose, terminal clusters of light blue to purple, bell-shaped flowers on sprawling, weak stems from mid-spring to early summer. Fresh looking all season, the foliage features pinnately compound leaves, each adorn with oval 7-15 leaflets. This sprawling rhizomatous perennial is excellent for a shaded rock garden or as a ground cover for woodlands or shade gardens.
- Grows up to 12-18 in. tall and wide (30-45 cm). Will freely self-seed if happy.
- Thrives in average, moist, humusy, well-drained soils in part shade. Tolerates full sun in cool summer climates.
- A lovely plant for beds and borders, cottage gardens, wildflower gardens, and rock gardens.
- Generally pest and disease free. Deer resistant.
- Native to Eastern North America.
Requirements
| Hardiness | 3 – 8 |
|---|---|
| Climate Zones | 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17 |
| Plant Type | Perennials |
| Plant Family | Polemonium – Jacob's Ladders |
| Exposure | Full Sun, Partial Sun |
| Season of Interest | Spring (Mid,Late)Summer (Early) |
| Height | 1' – 2' (30cm – 60cm) |
| Spread | 1' – 2' (30cm – 60cm) |
| Spacing | 18″ (45cm) |
| Water Needs | Average |
| Maintenance | Average |
| Soil Type | Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand |
| Soil pH | Acid, Alkaline, Neutral |
| Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained |
| Characteristics | Showy |
| Native Plants | United States, Midwest, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Northeast, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Southeast, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Southwest, Oklahoma |
| Tolerance | Deer |
| Garden Uses | Beds and Borders, Ground Covers |
| Garden Styles | Gravel and Rock Garden, Informal and Cottage, Prairie and Meadow |