Blooming in late April, Jacob's ladder is a great plant for massing in the spring woodland garden. It produces loose upright shoots 12-18” tall with small, bell-shaped pale blue flowers borne in branched clusters. The leaves of Jacob's ladder are divided into many small segments, giving plants a strong architectural appearance. Jacob's ladder prefers partial shade to shade in moist well-drained soils. With its eye-catching flowers and foliage Jacob’s ladder is a nice complement to other woodland garden plants.
This is a wild flower through much of the eastern woodlands and the Midwest plains. They are excellent foliage plants and provide fresh greenery all season. Plants are seldom over one foot high. After flowering, the plants are covered with tan-colored fruit, another wonderful attribute of this little-appreciated plant. If placed in partial shade and kept moist, plants are easy to grow