Jacob's-ladder - Polemonium caeruleum

Alternative names
Jacob's Ladder
Description

Medium to tall plant, forming tufts. Erect angled stems. Leaves alternate, pinnate with 8 to 12 pairs of leaflets. Flowers usually blue 20 to 30 mm in dense terminal cluster.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Damp and rocky habitats, often close to habitation.

When to see it

May to August.

Life History

Perennial - Most records probably relate to casuals and garden escapes that have become established in the wild.

UK Status

Though not common, the few scattered records show this plant to be widespread in Britain.

VC55 Status

It is uncommon as a wild flower in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 3 of the 617 tetrads.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Jacob's-ladder
Species group:
Wildflowers
Kingdom:
Plantae
Order:
Ericales
Family:
Polemoniaceae
Records on NatureSpot:
4
First record:
11/07/2007 (Calow, Graham)
Last record:
11/06/2021 (Calow, Graham)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

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