Polemonium reptans 'Stairway to Heaven' (v)

RHS Plant Profile

Jacob's ladder 'Stairway to Heaven'

Synonyms

Polemonium 'Stairway to Heaven'

Herbaceous Perennial

Buy this from RHS Plants Shop
Buy online from £7.19 Buy this from Plant Nurseries
34 Suppliers

A variegated, clump-forming, spreading deciduous perennial. Pinnate mid-green leaves have creamy-white margins, flushed pink in cooler spring weather. Small bell-shaped flowers, are light blue to white, and are slightly fragrant.

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

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

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand

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

Position

Full sun Partial shade

Aspect: South–facing or East–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): H5

Colour & Scent

Fragrance Flower

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Polemoniaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Spreading branched, 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: Accepted

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in any fertile, moist but well-drained soil in partial shade for best results, but will tolerate full sun

Propagation

Propagate by division in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Wildlife gardens
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Cut back to the base in autumn. Deadhead flowers

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews