Polemonium carneum Apricot Delight

Polemonium carneum Apricot Delight, also known as Greek Valerian, Salmon Polemonium, Great Jacob's Ladder, Royal Jacob's Ladder and Royal Polemonium, is a very hardy perennial, preferring cool, well-drained and humus-rich soil, appreciated for its fine-textured foliage and abundant flowering with delicate pink flowers shaded with pale apricot at the centre. This lovely plant finds its place in border plantings, in non-burning sunlight.

Polemonium carneum 'Apricot Delight' belongs to the Polemoniaceae family. Its ancestor is a botanical species native to California, particularly Oregon. In the wild, it is found in valleys adjacent to the Cascade Mountain Range as well as along the coast. It grows in full sun or partial shade in rich, moisture-retaining soils. If the soil dries out in summer, the plant goes into dormancy. Capable of adapting to soils acidified by conifer needles, this plant also shows good tolerance to clay soils that dry out in summer. A plant of relatively slow growth, it may take a few years to reach its full potential.

'Apricot Delight' is a horticultural selection with a robust and vigorous rootstock and more colourful flowering. From this rhizomatous rootstock, the plant develops dense rosettes in spring, from which strong, sticky stems rise to a minimum of 40 cm (16 in) above the ground. On the stems, the leaves are composed of about twenty leaflets arranged in an orderly manner, a beautiful bright green. The plant expands over time through its rootstock. The pink flowers, shaded with pale apricot, are abundant from May to July-August if the soil remains moist. The flower stalks bear several clusters of 3 to 6 flowers. Each flower is a corolla 3 cm (1 in) in diameter, fully open, composed of 5 petals fused into a tube at the base. In this 'Apricot Delight' variety, the flowers are pink, tinted with pale apricot towards the centre. As this colour changes to dark mauve-pink over time, the flowering is a tender gradient. It is also very attractive to bees. Greek Valerian can self-seed, but it never becomes invasive. The deciduous foliage dries up in autumn and regrows in spring.

Perfectly hardy, Polemonium 'Apricot Delight' grows in sunny locations if the soil remains slightly moist, or in partial shade. It prefers fresh, well-drained soils rich in humus, but can tolerate some limestone and clay. In the garden, plant it in border plantings, for example alongside bellflowers, perennial geraniums, ground cover roses, perennial salvias, etc.