Jacob's Ladder derives its name from the way the leaves are spaced on the stems.  The medium green leaves are alternate and compound but the leaves themselves are opposite on the stem, creating the ladder. The light blue bell shaped flowers hang in loose clusters on their own stems. The stems grow 10 to 15 inches.
 
Jacob’s Ladder provides both pollen and nectar to bees.  It is used by moths and butterflies for nectar and the larvae of 2 moths mine the leaves for food. This makes it a good plant to consider adding to your garden to provide food for pollinators early in the spring.
 
Jacob’s Ladder is not aggressive but will spread from seed, forming nice natural looking colonies. It prefers shade or dappled sunlight and a soil rich in organic matter but it will tolerate poorer or drier soils but may go dormant over the summer if it does not receive enough moisture. Deer do not like this plant so it is a good candidate for planting near plants that are usually eaten by deer such as Trillium. Other good companions are yellow wood poppy, foam flower, wild ginger, violets and early meadow rue.