Polemonium Species, Creeping Jacob's Ladder, Greek Valerian, Abcess Root, Skunk Weed

It is a handsome, low perennial native to eastern North America that slowly spreads. It does well in light shade or part-shade and can to...Read Morelerate full sun for several hours. It likes a silt loam soil best or any good garden soil.

I have this plant in a woodland garden that is full shade for most of the day, with maybe a couple of hours of dappled shade, and it has ...Read Moretaken over!
I let it go too long, and the roots seem to have formed a turf-like network, of shallow, but dense roots.
I am having to thin the patch out by using a pitchfork, as it is impossible to remove the whole plant by simply pulling it by hand.

I planted two of these last year. They survived a brutal, and I do mean brutal, Minnesota winter. They are a lovely mounded shape and a...Read Morere absolutely covered with beautiful light blue flowers. I find the foliage of polemoniums very pleasing, and it always looks clean and nice even when the plant is not blooming. This is definitely a keeper.

The preference is light shade or partial sun, mesic conditions, and a rich soil with lots of organic matter. It is not aggressive.
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The common name of Polemonium reptans refers to the pairs of opposite leaflets on the compound leaves, which supposedly resemble a series of steps on a ladder in a dream by the biblical Jacob.

Don't confuse this plant with the other species that resembles it, Polemonium vanbruntiae (Greek Valerian), which is native to some of the Eastern States. This latter species is more erect in habit, and has slightly larger flowers with exerted stamens. These flowers are usually a darker shade of blue than those of Jacob's Ladder, and their anthers are often yellow, rather than white.