That's pretty next to the hydrangea. My Jacob's Ladder is a lot taller, around 2 1/2 feet - I make sure to deadhead it because it tends to reseed everywhere.

I really liked mine when I had it, but it wasn't long-lived, a couple years at best. Who knows why. The variegated variety petered out on me even sooner.

Well, actually I got a good 3-4 years out of the regular Jacob's Ladder, but still...

I have a terrific sterile (long blooming Lambrooke Mauve....but otherwise, they do seem to be gone in a flash.

Mine certainly has been around for a number of years and shows no signs of decline. I give it a lot of sun, so maybe that makes a difference - who knows.

Kevin {{gwi:241871}}From Garden plants

Kevin - that is gorgeous!

Mine looks like Kevin's, just not that large a clump. I also had a white flowering one but I think I weeded it out. They might not be long lived but they reseed readily, so make sure you know what the seedlings look like so you don't get rid of them all.

I grow P. reptans; they are native here and they reseed vigorously throughout the shade garden. I cut off most of the seedheads now to slow reseeding. Years ago I had a P. caeruleum and I'd love to find another.

I tend to deadhead as soon as the flower heads are no longer attractive to me. I didn't find a single seedling this year which is kind of a bummer because I wanted some.

Kevin

Thanks for the comments and advice. I do want more JL. Do I let reseed in the bed and grow there?

Let them reseed and then move them to where you want when they are still small. I would still deadhead the majority of the flowers though.