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Herbaceous Perennial

Polemonium yezoense var. hidakanum 'Purple Rain'

Hokkaido Jacob's ladder 'Purple Rain'

'Purple Rain' is a herbaceous perennial producing a mound of foliage with very small leaflets in dark green flushed with purple-black. Star-shaped, purple flowers with prominent stamens and cream anthers appear in small clusters on dark stems in early summer

Synonyms

Polemonium 'Purple Rain'

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

North–facing or East–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Polemoniaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Polemonium can be annuals or herbaceous perennials or upright or spreading habit, with pinnate leaves and usually clustered, tubular, bell, or funnel-shaped flowers
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in any fertile, moist but well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown in containers in a cold frame, in autumn or spring, and select seedlings with the best-coloured foliage or divide in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Coastal
Cottage and informal garden
City and courtyard gardens
Flower borders and beds
Cut flowers

Pruning

Cut back foliage to ground level at the end of the season

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Powdery mildews can sometimes be a problem

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