ONH

Jacob’s Ladder

Polemonium pulcherrimum

Polemonium elegans

  • 1220147
  • 3303
  • 1210457
  • 1220120
  • 1550497
  • 7943
  • 1550479
  • 1550481
  • 4929
  • 1790066
  • 1790069
  • 9511
  • 1030531
  • 1030530
  • 4877
  • 1220147
    1 - Showy Jacob’s Ladder, Polemonium pulcherrimum.

    06/09/2014 Obstruction Point Road near the Cox Valley Trailhead, Olympic National Park, Washington

  • 3303
    2 - Showy Jacob’s Ladder.

    06/09/2014 Obstruction Point Road near the Cox Valley Trailhead, Olympic National Park, Washington

  • 1210457
    3 - Showy Jacob’s Ladder.

    06/05/2014 Obstruction Point Road near the Cox Valley Trailhead, Olympic National Park, Washington

  • 1220120
    4 - Showy Jacob’s Ladder.

    06/05/2014 Obstruction Point Road near the Cox Valley Trailhead, Olympic National Park, Washington

  • 1550497
    5 - Showy Jacob’s Ladder.

    06/21/2017 Obstruction Point Road near the Cox Valley Trailhead, Olympic National Park, Washington

  • 7943
    6 - Showy Jacob’s Ladder leaf.

    07/09/2006 Hurricane Hill Area, Olympic National Park, Washington

  • 1550479
    7 - Showy Jacob’s Ladder.

    06/21/2017 Obstruction Point Road near the Cox Valley Trailhead, Olympic National Park, Washington

  • 1550481
    8 - Showy Jacob’s Ladder. The center flower appears to have all the flower parts doubled.

    06/21/2017 Obstruction Point Road near the Cox Valley Trailhead, Olympic National Park, Washington

  • 4929
    9 - Showy Jacob’s Ladder, with a sky blue flower.

    07/05/2007 Hurricane Hill Area, Olympic National Park, Washington

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    10 - Showy Jacob’s Ladder, white flower variant.

    07/03/2018 Hurricane Hill Area, Olympic National Park, Washington

  • 1790069
    11 - Showy Jacob’s Ladder, white flower variant.

    07/03/2018 Hurricane Hill Area, Olympic National Park, Washington

  • 9511
    12 - Elegant Jacob’s Ladder, Polemonium elegans. We’ve seen this species in rocky exposed areas. The leaves are smaller and the flower stems project above the leaves.

    07/18/2010 Blue Mountain/Deer Park, Olympic National Park

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    13 - Elegant Jacob’s Ladder.

    07/07/2012 Blue Mountain/Deer Park, Olympic National Park

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    14 - Elegant Jacob’s Ladder.

    07/07/2012 Blue Mountain/Deer Park, Olympic National Park

  • 4877
    15 - Elegant Jacob’s Ladder leaves.

    07/24/2011 Blue Mountain/Deer Park, Olympic National Park

When we see Jacob’s ladder along mountain trails it is typically in the partial shade of trees. The flowers are blue (from light blue to purple-blue) with yellow centers. Occasionally we have seen plants with white flowers (slides 10 and 11). The leaves are lush and green.

In some rocky exposed areas we’ve seen another species, Polemonium elegans, which has smaller leaves located near the ground (basal). (Slides 12-14).