Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Perennial
Tree
Origin
-
Southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Types
-
Guaiacum officinale
Number of Varieties
503
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Cold Regions, Temperate Regions
Coastal Regions, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Thickets, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-810-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-1
12-10
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17
H1, H2
Habit
Cushion/Mound-forming
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
20.30 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
27.90 cm370.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Blue, Lavender
Purple, Violet, Blue Violet
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Yellow, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Purple
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Purple
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Purple
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Olive
Shape
Leaf Shape
Linear
Egg-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Keep ground moist, Water more in summer
Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Consistently
In Spring
Moderate
Average Water
In Winter
Average Water
Moderate
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune to stimulate growth
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, as it is a flowering plant, use high phosphorous content fertilizer
Fertilize three times a year
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
fungus, Mealybugs, Scale, Spider mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Salt
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Black Dyes
-
Part of Plant Used
-
Bark, Sap
Other Uses
-
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
Polemonium caeruleum
GUAIACUM sanctum
Common Name
Jacob's Ladder
Holy-wood, Lignum Vitae
In Hindi
Jacob's Ladder
Lignum Vitae
In German
Jacob's Ladder
Lignum Vitae
In French
Jacob's Ladder
Lignum Vitae
In Spanish
Jacob's Ladder
Palo santo
In Greek
Jacob's Ladder
Lignum Vitae
In Portuguese
Jacob's Ladder
pau-santo
In Polish
Jacob's Ladder
Lignum Vitae
In Latin
Jacob's Ladder
lignum Vitae
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Ericales
Sapindales
Family
Polemoniaceae
Zygophyllaceae
Genus
Polemonium
Guaiacum
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
-
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
403
1
27800
👆🏻