Description
Polemonium – Jacob’s Ladder –
There are about 25 species of deciduous, clump forming or occasionally rhizomatous perennials, and annuals, in this genus. They occur in stony, arctic or alpine soil, often by streams, or in damp meadows, woodland, scrub, in Europe, Asia, North America and central America. Most have basal clumps of ferny unequally pinnate leaves, usually with numerous leaflets, and erect or decumbent stems bearing smaller leaves.. They are grown for their spring and summer flowers, which are bell shaped, saucer shaped, narrowly tubular, or funnel shaped and spreading at the mouths, they are usually white or blue, sometimes purple, pink, or yellow, and either solitary or in terminal or axillary cymes. Grow taller species in a border or woodland garden, the smaller, alpine species in a rock garden, or scree bed.
Grow tall species in any fertile, well drained but moist soil, preferably in full sun or part shade. Grow small species in gritty, sharply drained soil in full sun with some midday shade. Deadhead regularly. Divide in spring.
Prone to powdery mildew.
P. caeruleum var. lacteum – Polemonium caeruleum var. album – Greek Valerian – Jacob’s Ladder – This clump forming perennial grows 12-36″ tall and 12-24″ wide. It produces 2 pinnate leaves, to 16″ long, each composed of 19-27 lance shaped leaflets, ½-1 ½” long and hollow stems that are hairy near the inflorescences. In early summer it bears lax, terminal or axillary cymes of open bell shaped, white flowers, ½-1″ across, with yellowy orange stamens.
Zones 4-9
