Polemonium pulcherrimum Golden Feathers

Polemonium pulcherrimum 'Golden Feathers' is a delicate-looking perennial with very bright dentate foliage composed of green leaves widely variegated with golden-yellow. It is adorned in late spring and summer with pretty little blue-lavender flowers with yellow maculate petals at the base, arranged along sturdy stems. This deciduous plant forms a tuft of foliage reminiscent of ferns. Hardy and vigorous, it thrives in partial shade or shade, in cool, humus-rich, well-drained soil.

Polemonium pulcherrimum 'Golden Feathers', also known as Jacob's Ladder, belongs to the Polemoniaceae family. It is a herbaceous perennial that forms a tuft 20 cm (8 in) tall, with a spread of 35 cm (14 in). Its deciduous foliage is very bright, with green leaves widely variegated with yellow. The Polemonium genus is distinguished by its fern-like foliage, composed of dozens of small leaflets inserted perpendicularly to the central vein, like the rungs of a ladder. In the case of Polemonium pulcherrimum 'Golden Feathers', from May to August, the light green robust stems rise above the foliage, bearing clusters of flowers that resemble bell-shaped buds before fully opening. The corolla flattens at maturity, revealing its five diamond-shaped petals, lavender-blue with a yellow centre. The heart of each flower reveals orange stamens when covered in pollen. It can rebloom in early autumn if faded flowers are regularly removed. It is a relatively short-lived perennial, but it can self-seed.

Very hardy (-30 °C (-22 °F)), Polemonium pulcherrimum 'Golden Feathers' is quite undemanding. It thrives in slightly alkaline to slightly acidic, fertile, humus-rich, cool, well-drained, and moist soil. Plant it in a mixed border or mass planting in combination with Anemones, Filipendula palmata with pink plumes, or ferns like Matteuccia struthiopteris with which it forms a delightful combination. This variety prefers partially shaded to shaded exposures. It pairs well with different foliage and flower colours, and adapts well to wooded gardens, shaded rockeries, along pathways, or placed prominently as a specimen. In a container, its finely variegated and dissected foliage will attract attention.