Description
Polemonium yezoense ‘Kaleidoscope’, commonly known as Jacob’s Ladder, is a lovely variegated cultivar of this early-summer flowering plant that works in a range of garden schemes. Polemoniums make a great statement in shadier spots, with rosettes of lush, wonderfully textured fern-link foliage topped by clusters of strong stems bedecked with flowers that are pale blue with yellow centres from early June onwards. The foliage on this plant is striking – both for the strongly divided form of its leaves and its attractive variegation, where each mid-green leaflet is edged in cream. The divided foliage means polemoniums work brilliantly as a foil to broad-leaved plants like hostas, brunneras and pulmonarias, while the blue of the flowers and the contrasting yellow and orange stamens brings punches of colour to shadier spots. Once established they are reliable and hardy, and though not the longest-lived of perennials, they will self-seed where they are happy.
These established, garden-ready plants have been grown at our nursery in Cornwall and are supplied in 2 litre containers. They will grow to an ultimate height of about 50cm (20 inches or so) with a similar spread.
Growing Advice
Polemoniums are very hardy and easy to grow plants. They prefer shadier spots as the foliage can scorch in too much sun. They also like fertile, organic rich soil that doesn’t dry out too much in summer, but that isn’t too boggy in winter. Edge of woodland-type areas are perfect, with dappled shade and lots of organic material. Though they work best as woodland shade plants, because there is nothing else that has quite the same foliage Jacob’s Ladder plants will also work well as a contrast in traditional cottage-garden borders or as unusual texture in more modern schemes.
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