Bloomipedia
Jacob's ladder (Polemonium reptans)
Photo: wilderbombyx via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized

Flower profile

Jacob's ladder

Polemonium reptans

Native in the lower 48

Jacob's ladder is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 6 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–May.

30states
6of our state lists
14,034U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Ohio

Quick look

Polemonium reptans is a perennial herbaceous plant native to eastern North America. Common names include spreading Jacob's ladder, creeping Jacob's ladder, false Jacob's ladder, abscess root, American Greek valerian, blue bells, stairway to heaven, and sweatroot.

  • It belongs to the Polemoniaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 30 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Iowa and Delaware. NatureServe
  • In Illinois, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–May. iNaturalist
  • In Ohio, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,662 research-grade sightings of it in Illinois, ranking #67 among the 109 flowers on our Illinois list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,140 research-grade sightings of it in Ohio, ranking #83 among the 109 flowers on our Ohio list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,064 research-grade sightings of it in Kentucky, ranking #53 among the 110 flowers on our Kentucky list. iNaturalist

Jacob's ladder gift ideas

Handmade jacob's ladder gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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    Jacob's ladder art print

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    Jacob's ladder greeting card

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    Jacob's ladder mug

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    Jacob's ladder earrings

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    Jacob's ladder embroidery pattern

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    Jacob's ladder sticker

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,958 records)
Bloom time in each of our 6 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
IllinoisNativeMarch–May2,662
OhioNativeApril–May2,140
KentuckyNativeMarch–April1,064
IndianaNativeMarch–May772
IowaNativeApril–May291
DelawareNativeApril–May160

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
Illinois
Not listed Not on Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Flora (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1050), per the Endangered Species Protection Board's 2025 checklist. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Illinois. IL E&T checklist 2025
Ohio
Not listed Not on Ohio endangered and threatened plants (Ohio Adm. Code 1501:18-1-03, eff. Dec. 26, 2024). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Ohio. OAC 1501:18-1-03
Kentucky
Not listed Not on Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Kentucky. 400 KAR 3:040
Indiana
No list Indiana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the DNR keeps a rare plant list, but it isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Indiana ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Indiana.
Iowa
Not listed Not on Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Iowa. IAC 571-77.3
Delaware
Not listed Not on Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Delaware. DE rare plants 2024
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: KS (S2), MI (S2), MS (S2), NC (S1), NE (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records jacob's ladder in 30 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Illinois counties with USDA records: Adams, Alexander, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Calhoun, Carroll, Champaign, Clark, Clay, Coles, Cook, Crawford, Cumberland, DeKalb, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Gallatin, Greene, Grundy, Hancock, Hardin, Henderson, Iroquois, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lawrence, Lee, Livingston, Macoupin, Madison, Marion, Massac, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Montgomery, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Pike, Pope, Pulaski, Putnam, Randolph, Richland, Rock Island, Saline, Sangamon, Schuyler, Shelby, St. Clair, Stark, Stephenson, Union, Vermilion, Wabash, Warren, Washington, Wayne, White, Whiteside, Will, Williamson, Winnebago.

Ohio counties with USDA records: Adams, Allen, Ashland, Ashtabula, Athens, Auglaize, Belmont, Brown, Butler, Carroll, Champaign, Clark, Clermont, Columbiana, Coshocton, Crawford, Cuyahoga, Darke, Defiance, Delaware, Erie, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Gallia, Geauga, Greene, Guernsey, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Harrison, Henry, Highland, Hocking, Holmes, Huron, Jackson, Jefferson, Knox, Lake, Lawrence, Licking, Logan, Lorain, Madison, Mahoning, Marion, Medina, Meigs, Mercer, Miami, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Morrow, Muskingum, Noble, Paulding, Perry, Pickaway, Pike, Portage, Preble, Putnam, Richland, Ross, Scioto, Seneca, Shelby, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Union, Van Wert, Vinton, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Williams, Wood, Wyandot.

Kentucky counties with USDA records: Adair, Allen, Anderson, Barren, Bath, Boone, Boyd, Boyle, Breckinridge, Bullitt, Caldwell, Calloway, Campbell, Carlisle, Carroll, Carter, Casey, Christian, Clark, Crittenden, Edmonson, Estill, Fayette, Fleming, Franklin, Gallatin, Garrard, Grant, Graves, Grayson, Green, Greenup, Hardin, Hart, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Jackson, Jefferson, Jessamine, Johnson, Kenton, Laurel, Lee, Lewis, Lyon, Madison, Marshall, Mason, McLean, Meade, Menifee, Metcalfe, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Nelson, Nicholas, Oldham, Owen, Owsley, Pendleton, Powell, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Rowan, Scott, Shelby, Taylor, Todd, Trigg, Trimble, Union, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wolfe, Woodford.

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Sources