Alphabetical Plant Listing

Polemonium reptans (Creeping Jacob's Ladder)

Jacob's Ladder, Bluebells, Creeping Jacob's Ladder, Great Valerian, Sweet Root


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.

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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

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Flower_Garden, Olga Otto, Shutterstock

While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.


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

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