Southwest Colorado Wildflowers, Polemonium

Polemoniums abound in the San Juans and nearby mountain ranges: Polemonium foliosissimum, growing erect to three feet, is common in high meadows and along streams; sprawling, low P. pulcherrimum is very abundant in the dry shade of Spruce forests; and the intensely purple, but less common, P. viscosum grows to six inches tall in very high meadows and alone on alpine scree. But beware of beauty; most Polemoniums exude a strong skunk odor when touched.

Because of the skunk-like smell of these plants, one might think that the name "Polemonium" referred to "pole"-cat (skunk), but the name is more probably for either the Greek Philosopher, Polemon, or from the Greek "polemos" meaning "strife": Pliny the Elder indicated that a war was fought over who actually discovered this plant!

Polemonium foliosissimum (Jacob’s Ladder)
Polemoniaceae (Phlox Family)

Montane, subalpine. Meadows. Summer.
Scotch Creek Road, July 1, 2004.

Polemonium foliosissimum is easy to spot and identify because of its growth patterns: it is often in dense to loosely scattered colonies in open mountain meadows; it grows tall (commonly two to three feet) in an open, airy manner; and its leaves are finely cut. Its abundance of softly lavender/blue/purple flowers are borne in numerous, showy clusters. Altogether, Polemonium foliosissimum is a softly appealing, lovely plant and one of our favorites.

Charles Parry first found this plant for science in Colorado and it was named by Asa Gray in 1878. "Foliosissimum" is Greek for "very leafy". (More biographical information.)

Polemonium foliosissimum (Jacob’s Ladder)
Polemoniaceae (Phlox Family)

Montane, subalpine. Meadows. Summer.
Lizard Head Trail, June 19, 2004.

Polemonium foliosissimum (Jacob’s Ladder)
Polemoniaceae (Phlox Family)

Montane, subalpine. Meadows. Summer.
Navajo Lake Trail, July 11, 2005.

Polemonium pulcherrimum (Jacob’s Ladder)
Polemoniaceae (Phlox Family)

Montane, subalpine. Woodlands. Summer.
Owens Basin Trail, June 13, 2004.

The very common Polemonium pulcherrimum is short and pale blue/purple and grows in shady, acid soils under Spruce and Fir and in open sunny areas. It is common for clusters of many plants to have few, if any, flowers. But eye-catching arrays of dozens of flowers are also common. In the very dry year of 2003 we found no Polemonium pulcherrimum in bloom. Following the very wet winter and spring of 2004-2005, we found many in bloom.

The name "Pulcherrimum" is Greek for "very beautiful" and was given to this plant by William Jackson Hooker in 1830 from a specimen collected by Thomas Drummond in his 1825-1827 Canadian Rockies explorations.

Polemonium pulcherrimum (Jacob’s Ladder)
Polemoniaceae (Phlox Family)

Montane, subalpine. Woodlands. Summer.
Sharkstooth Trail, July 18, 2005.

It is very common to find clusters of Polemonium pulcherrimum at the shady base of Spruce and Fir in the montane and sub-alpine woods.

More Polemonium pulcherrimum photographs.

Polemonium viscosum (Sky Pilot)
Polemoniaceae (Phlox Family)

Alpine. Tundra, scree. Summer.
Madden Peak, June 22, 2004.

Polemonium viscosum’s intensely blue/purple flowers are a magnificent, uplifting, eye-opening surprise on 12,000 foot alpine scree and meadows. Leaves are succulent-appearing, finely cut, upright, and (in a manner similar to Polemonium pulcherrimum) often quite numerous in comparison to the number of flowers.

This species was first collected near the headwaters of the Platte River by Thomas Nuttall on his 1834-1837 western wanderings; he named and described the plant in 1848. "Viscosum" is Latin for "sticky".

Polemonium viscosum (Sky Pilot)
Polemoniaceae (Phlox Family)

Alpine. Tundra, scree. Summer.
Madden Peak, June 22, 2004.

Polemonium viscosum (Sky Pilot)
Polemoniaceae (Phlox Family)

Alpine. Tundra, scree. Summer.
Madden Peak, June 22, 2004.