Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium reptans) is the perfect plant for adding soft spring color to a woodland garden! This easy-to-grow perennial features delicate foliage that resembles the rungs of a ladder, forming an attractive, airy groundcover.

Blooming from April to May, clusters of light blue to lavender, bell-shaped flowers float above its fern-like foliage made up of neat, oblong leaflets. Jacob’s Ladder grows best in part shade to shade with average to moist soil.

Beyond its gentle beauty, Polemonium reptans is an important early-season nectar source for pollinators. Its pollen also has a specialist relationship with the native Jacob’s Ladder Miner Bee (Andrena polemonii), making it an especially meaningful addition to a pollinator-focused woodland garden!