Bog Jacob's-ladder

Polemonium vanbruntiae is a perennial herb that grows erect from a horizontal rhizome, reaching one meter in maximum height. The leaves are each made up of 7 to 10 pairs of lance-shaped or nearly oval leaflets. The inflorescence is a corymb of purple-blue flowers with yellow centers. The stamens and stigmas protrude from the bell-shaped corolla.

Polemonium vanbruntiae is similar to P. caeruleum and P. reptans.

Polemonium vanbruntiae can be found from New Brunswick and Quebec south to Maryland and West Virginia. It is not common anywhere but it is probably most abundant in New York. It tolerates a wide variety of wetland habitat types including swamps, bogs, marshes, and wet spots along roadsides. Its habitat is often saturated, but not flooded.

Polemonium vanbruntiae reproduces both sexually and vegetatively, although the relative importance of each is not known. Plants typically flower from mid-June to late-July.