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Creeping Jacob's-ladder

Polemonium reptans

22
Good

Native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 94%

Height
1–3 feet
Spread
1.5–3 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Average to moist

Space about 2 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 25 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Bloom
April to June

Not yet recorded · Leaves

Recorded in 21 Alabama counties.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

0CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL
7BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Polemonium

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
1Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Polemonium

  • Andrena polemonii
Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Flies 2
  • Pipiza femoralis
  • Rhingia nasica

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Adult butterflies / moths 4
  • Hemaris thysbe
  • Plusia simplex
  • Thanaos brizo
  • Thanaos juvenalis

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Polemoniaceae
Hardiness
Zones 3a–8b
Flower color
Blue or white

What its natural habitat tells you

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
  • Bloom · “April to June” · Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide · Nursery cultural guide; height in flower; moisture categories retained as printed
  • Flower color · “Blue or white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differs)
  • Hardiness · “Zones 3a–8b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Height · “1–3 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Minnesota Wildflowers, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
  • Life cycle · “Perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
  • Soil · “moderately wet to medium” · Tennessee Smart Yards (ranked first; Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ) · Published Tennessee growing guidance; exact cached scientific heading
  • Spread · “1.5–3 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Also known as

Creeping Jacob's ladder; Greek Valerian; Jacobs Ladder

Conservation status

Alabama rankSNR
Global rankG5
AL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

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How to check your spot

Growing cautions

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Sources