Polemonium reptans

RHS Plant Profile

creeping Jacob's ladder

Other common names

American abcess-root, bluebells, Greek valerian, sweet root

Synonyms

Polemonium pulchellum Salisb.

Herbaceous Perennial

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A bushy, clump-forming perennial to around 70cm high, forming a low mound of long, pinnate leaves, divided into 10-20 elliptic leaflets held in offset pairs. Nodding pale blue or white flowers are produced in loose sprays on upright stems in spring

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height: 0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam

Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade

Aspect: East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H7

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Polemoniaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy, Clump forming
Genus: Polemonium can be annuals or herbaceous perennials or upright or spreading habit, with pinnate leaves and usually clustered, tubular, bell, or funnel-shaped flowers
Name Status: Correct

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile, moist but well-drained soil, will benefit from some shade where summers are hot

Propagation

Propagate by seed, sown in containers in a cold frame in autumn or spring, or by division in spring. This species spreads naturally by creeping rhizomes

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Deadhead regularly to encourage new flowers

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews