This is a rather floppy plant, although both the flowers and foliage are attractive. The bell-shaped flowers and compound leaves together provide Jacob's Ladder with a distinctive appearance. The only other species that resembles it, Polemonium vanbruntiae (Greek Valerian), which is native to some of the Eastern States, doesn't occur in the wild in Illinois. 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. 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.

This native perennial plant is 1–1½' tall, branching occasionally. The stems are usually glabrous and have a tendency to sprawl across the ground. They are often dull reddish green and somewhat angular. The alternate compound leaves are odd pinnate, consisting of about 5-15 leaflets, and they are up to 1' long. Sometimes, there are a few white hairs at the base of the petioles of the compound leaves. Each leaflet is oval to narrowly ovate, hairless, and with a margin that is smooth. It is about 1½' long and ½' across. Flowering stalks develop from the upper axils of the compound leaves that are several inches long. These stalks are glabrous and often reddish green, terminating in a small corymb of floppy or nodding flowers. Each bell-shaped flower is about 2/3' across. It has 5 rounded petals that are light blue, 5 stamens with white anthers, a style that is divided at its tip into 3 parts, and a reddish green calyx with 5 teeth that is united at the base. There are fine lines running along the length of the petals, while the stamens are the same length as, or shorter than, the petals. The blooming period usually occurs during the late spring and lasts about 2-3 weeks. The flowers are replaced by rounded capsules containing 3 cells. Each cell contains several seeds. The root system consists of a taproot. This plant spreads by reseeding itself.

Jacob's Ladder is an occasional to locally common plant that occurs in most areas of Illinois, except for some counties in the central portion of the state (see Distribution Map). Habitats include deciduous mesic woodlands, woodland borders, mesic black soil prairies, fens, and semi-shaded areas along rivers. This plant prefers high quality natural habitats, and rarely wonders far from wooded areas.

Polemonium reptans L.:
China (Asia)
United States (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Canada

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Jacob's Ladder is an occasional to locally common plant that occurs in most areas of Illinois, except for some counties in the central portion of the state (see Distribution Map). Habitats include deciduous mesic woodlands, woodland borders, mesic black soil prairies, fens, and semi-shaded areas along rivers. This plant prefers high quality natural habitats, and rarely wonders far from wooded areas.

The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract bees primarily, including honeybees, bumblebees, Little Carpenter bees, Mason bees, Cuckoo bees (Nomadine), Halictid bees (including Green Metallic), and Andrenid bees. A visitor from this last group, Andrena polemonii, is an oligolege of Polemonium spp. The flowers are also visited by Bombylius major (Giant Bee Fly) and various butterflies, skippers, or moths, which seek nectar. Syrphid flies also visit the flowers, but they feed on the pollen and are unlikely pollinators. Apparently, little information is available about this plant's relationships to birds and herbivorous mammals.

Polemonium reptans (Jacob's Ladder)
(Bees suck nectar or collect pollen; flies suck nectar or feed on pollen; other insects suck nectar; observations are from Robertson)

Bees (long-tongued)
Apidae (Apinae): Apis mellifera sn cp fq; Apidae (Bombini): Bombus auricomus sn, Bombus bimaculatus sn, Bombus griseocallis sn fq, Bombus impatiens sn fq, Bombus pensylvanica sn fq, Bombus vagans sn, Psithyrus variabilis sn; Anthophoridae (Anthophorini): Anthophora ursina sn; Anthophoridae (Ceratinini): Ceratina calcarata sn, Ceratina dupla dupla sn fq; Anthophoridae (Eucerini): Synhalonia belfragii sn cp fq, Synhalonia speciosa sn fq; Anthophoridae (Nomadini): Nomada affabilis sn, Nomada hydrophylli sn fq, Nomada ovatus sn; Megachilidae (Osmiini): Hoplitis pilosifrons sn, Osmia atriventris sn, Osmia conjuncta sn cp fq, Osmia lignaria lignaria sn, Osmia pumila sn cp fq

Bees (short-tongued)
Halictidae (Halictinae): Agapostemon sericea sn, Augochlora purus purus sn cp fq, Augochlorella aurata sn, Augochlorella striata sn cp fq, Halictus rubicunda sn cp, Lasioglossum coreopsis sn cp, Lasioglossum coriaceus sn cp, Lasioglossum obscurus sn, Lasioglossum pilosus pilosus sn cp, Lasioglossum versatus sn; Andrenidae (Andreninae): Andrena carlini sn, Andrena distans sn, Andrena geranii sn fq, Andrena nasonii cp, Andrena polemonii sn cp olg, Andrena sayi sn cp

Flies
Syrphidae: Pipiza femoralis fp np, Rhingia nasica sn fp, Toxomerus marginatus fp np; Empididae: Empis pudica sn; Bombyliidae: Bombylius major sn

Butterflies
Pieridae: Colias philodice fq

Skippers
Hesperiidae: Erynnis brizo, Erynnis juvenalis fq

Moths
Sphingidae: Hemaris thysbe; Noctuidae: Anagrapha falcifera fq

Beetles
Coccinellidae: Coleomegilla maculata; Pyrochroidae: Pedilus terminalis

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.


No available public DNA sequences.

Download FASTA File

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 1
Specimens with Barcodes: 4
Species With Barcodes: 1

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

The preference is light shade or partial sun, mesic conditions, and a rich soil with lots of organic matter. Full sunlight and conditions that are moister or drier are also tolerated. It is not aggressive, and adapts well to flower gardens, especially in partially shaded areas.