Polemonium reptans 'Stairway to Heaven' produces low mounds of green-and-white variegated foliage that provide a lively background for sprays of bell-shaped blue flowers that add color to sunny and part-sun gardens in spring and early summer. The creamy white leaf margins of this Jacob’s Ladder are often accented with pink in spring and when temperatures are cool. Plants prosper in evenly moist, woodsy soil and along the banks of streams.
The genus Polemonium includes at least 25 species. Members are native to temperate and arctic regions predominantly in the Northern Hemisphere and particularly to mountainous areas. Their common name, Jacob’s Ladder, recalls the Old Testament story of Jacob who dreamt about a ladder reaching to the heavens, a reference to the perennial’s pinnately compound leaves, which are ladderlike in the arrangement of their leaflets. Flowers are generally shades of blue (but can very occasionally be white, pink, or purple) and they bloom mostly in spring. The foliage remains handsome throughout summer. More upright forms of Jacob’s Ladder look lovely in perennial borders and woodland gardens, while the spreading varieties are ideal for adding to rock gardens and alpine collections.
For more information on growing and care, click Growing Guide.
