Polemonium 'Touch of Class' (Jacob's Ladder) – Hardy Perennial (3L Pot)

Polemonium 'Touch of Class' is a Jacob's ladder, a clump forming perennial with ladder like foliage and clusters of soft bell shaped flowers.

It grows 30 to 40cm tall and 30 to 40cm wide. The green leaflets are edged in creamy white, so the plant is worth looking at even out of flower, and the lavender blue bells sit just above the mound. The flowers open from late spring into early summer and bees work them steadily, so it earns its place at the front of a border, along a woodland edge or in a shady bed where little else flowers this early.

It flowers best with some sun but is happiest in dappled shade, and what it really wants is fertile soil that never dries out; it will also sit happily in a container if you keep it watered. It arrives as an established plant in a 3 litre pot. Take the spent stems off to keep it tidy and to encourage a second flush, and divide the clump every few years to keep it vigorous. Jacob's ladder is often short lived and will seed itself around.

Cultural Information

• Common Name: Jacob's ladder
• Fully Grown Height and Spread: 30 to 40cm tall and 30 to 40cm wide
• Growth Habit: Compact, clump forming and upright
• Perfect For: Cottage borders, woodland edges, shady beds and containers
• Foliage: Green leaves margined with creamy white, ladder like
• Flowering Time: Late spring to early summer
• Planting Position: Full sun or partial shade, happiest in dappled shade. Grows well in a container
• Soil Type: Fertile, moist but well drained soil that does not dry out
• Hardiness: Fully hardy in the UK
• Maintenance: Remove spent flower stems for a tidier plant and a possible second flush, and divide mature clumps every few years
• Seasonal Interest: Spring and summer
• Type: Hardy herbaceous perennial