# annual polemonium (*Polemonium micranthum*)

The annual polemonium is a lovely flower that blooms in bright colors. It has soft, feathery leaves and can be found in meadows and open areas, adding beauty to nature's canvas.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Meadows

![annual polemonium](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Polemonium_micranthum_9496.JPG&width=800)

Photo: Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Polemonium_micranthum_9496.JPG)

## Appearance

The annual polemonium has delicate, cup-shaped flowers typically displaying shades of pale blue to white, sometimes with purple veins. Its feather-like leaves, arranged like a ladder, grow from slender stems, forming a small, often sprawling plant.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Ericales
- **Family:** Polemoniaceae
- **Genus:** Polemonium

## Interesting facts

- It loves growing in disturbed places, like roadsides or recently cleared land!
- Its scientific name, 'micranthum,' means "small-flowered," just like its tiny blooms!
- Some people call it "Jacob's Ladder" because its leaves look like rungs!
- The fragile flowers usually open for only a single day, a fleeting beauty!

## Special abilities

- **Quick Bloomer:** Annual polemonium can complete its entire life cycle from seed to flower to seed in just one year, helping it thrive in habitats with short growing seasons.
- **Seed Survivor:** Annual polemonium has tough seeds that can stay dormant in the soil for many years, waiting for the perfect conditions to sprout.
- **Tiny Attractor:** Annual polemonium has very small, pale flowers that attract specific tiny bees and flies, ensuring its pollination even with its delicate blooms.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 5-30 cm
- **Spread:** 10-20 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring to early Summer (April-July)
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** [Yellow-faced Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/yellow-faced-bumble-bee) (*Bombus vosnesenskii*) — Carries pollen between its small flowers.
- **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits flowers for nectar and pollen.
- **Eaten by:** [Differential Grasshopper](https://www.snappit.app/explore/differential-grasshopper) (*Melanoplus differentialis*) — Feeds on its leaves and tender stems.
- **Eats:** [Deer Mouse](https://www.snappit.app/explore/deer-mouse) (*Peromyscus maniculatus*) — Consumes its tiny seeds, helping to disperse them.

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look at flowers but don't pick them, as they are homes for many tiny creatures.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify annual polemonium?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is annual polemonium?

5-30 cm

### How wide does annual polemonium spread?

10-20 cm

### How big are the flowers on annual polemonium?

0.5-1 cm

### When does annual polemonium bloom?

Spring to early Summer (April-July)

### Is annual polemonium edible?

No

### Is annual polemonium toxic?

None

### What is annual polemonium's lifecycle?

Annual

## Where to spot

- [Stemwinder Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/stemwinder-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Annual Polemonium: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annual-polemonium)