Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Perennial
Origin
Southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
-
Types
Guaiacum officinale
-
Number of Varieties
350
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal Regions, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Thickets, Woodlands
Cold Regions, Temperate Regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-154-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
8-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Cushion/Mound-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
300.00 cm20.30 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
370.00 cm27.90 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Purple, Violet, Blue Violet
Blue, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Yellow, Red
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Olive
Green, Purple
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Purple
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Olive
Green, Purple
Leaf Color in Winter
Olive
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Egg-shaped
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Slow
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season
Average Water Needs, Keep ground moist, Water more in summer
In Summer
Consistently
Lots of watering
In Spring
Average Water
Moderate
In Winter
Moderate
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune to stimulate growth
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Fertilize three times a year
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, as it is a flowering plant, use high phosphorous content fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
fungus, Mealybugs, Scale, Spider mites
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Salt
Drought
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
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
Butterflies
Allergy
Skin irritation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, 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
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
GUAIACUM sanctum
Polemonium caeruleum
Common Name
Holy-wood, Lignum Vitae
Jacob's Ladder
In Hindi
Lignum Vitae
Jacob's Ladder
In German
Lignum Vitae
Jacob's Ladder
In French
Lignum Vitae
Jacob's Ladder
In Spanish
Palo santo
Jacob's Ladder
In Greek
Lignum Vitae
Jacob's Ladder
In Portuguese
pau-santo
Jacob's Ladder
In Polish
Lignum Vitae
Jacob's Ladder
In Latin
lignum Vitae
Jacob's Ladder
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Sapindales
Ericales
Family
Zygophyllaceae
Polemoniaceae
Genus
Guaiacum
Polemonium
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
340
1
27800
👆🏻