Jacob's-ladder
Polemonium pulcherrimum Hook.
Polemonium pulcherrimum, known as Jacob's-ladder, is a perennial herb in the Polemoniaceae family. It is native to western North America, ranging from Alaska and Yukon to Arizona and New Mexico. This species is commonly found in various mountain habitats, including alpine talus and rock cracks at high elevations. It features a clump of erect stems up to 30 centimeters tall, with mostly basal leaves composed of lance-shaped to round leaflets. The plant is lightly hairy, glandular, sticky, and has a strong skunk-like odor. Its showy inflorescence consists of a dense cluster of bell-shaped flowers, typically blue with a yellow throat.
Description
Polemonium pulcherrimum is a flowering plant in the Polemoniaceae family, native to western North America. It grows in diverse mountainous habitats, including alpine areas. The plant forms a clump with erect stems reaching up to 30 centimeters in height. Its leaves are mostly basal, with smaller ones along the stem, composed of lance-shaped to round leaflets. The plant has a strong scent, often described as skunk-like, and is lightly hairy and glandular. The flowers are arranged in a dense inflorescence, with bell-shaped blooms in shades of blue, often with a yellow throat. The species was first described in 1830 by Hook.
Other common names
short Jacob's-ladderJacob's-ladder
Distribution
NO · Global · Alaska · Alberta · Arizona · British Columbia · California · Colorado · Idaho · Khabarovsk · Magadan · Montana · Nevada · New Mexico · Northwest Territorie · Oregon · Utah · Washington · Wyoming · Yakutskiya · Yukon
Synonyms
Polemonium humile f. pulcherrimumPolemonium caeruleum var. pulcherrimum