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.
Description
Jacob's ladder grows tall, with pinnate leaves up to long with 5–13 leaflets. The leaves and flower stems grow from a vertical crown with abundant fibrous roots. The pollen is white. The stigma extends beyond the anthers, making self-pollination difficult, so insects must cross-pollinate for the plants to produce seed.
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File:Jacob's Ladder Polemonium reptens Leaves 3008px.JPG|Leaves
File:Jacob's Ladder Polemonium reptens Flower Buds 2628px.jpg|Oval seed pods enclosed in green calyces
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Ecology
thumb|Flowers being visited by a [[wasp]]
The flowers produce both pollen and nectar. Long- and short-tongued bees visit the plants for both nectar and pollen, syrphid flies and fire beetles (Pedilus lugubris) feed on pollen, and butterflies and moths drink nectar. Out of these insects, large bees are the most effective at cross-pollination, since they most often touch the pollen-covered anthers.
Range and habitat
Polemonium reptans is typically found in rich, moist woods, often along streambanks. Its range extends from Minnesota to New Hampshire in the north, and from Georgia to Mississippi in the south. It is furthermore said to bring relief in cases of inflammations and infections. The root is rarely used in modern herbalism. It is harvested in the autumn and dried for later use.