Leaves and stems are covered in sticky hairs. Flashy bunches of bluish, five-petalled blooms adorn the stalks. The petals join at the base and form a shallow cup. The centre of the flower shines a cheerful yellow. Five stamens surround a single pistil within the bloom.
Flowers appear from late spring well into the summer, especially at high elevations.
Jacob's ladder grows throughout most of British Columbia, but is especially abundant east of the Coast and Cascade ranges. Its range extends southward throughout the mountains of the U.S. too. It occupies sites from mid to high alpine elevations. The plant grows in sunny to shaded sites in many habitats including open forests, meadows, open slopes and alpine ridges. Disturbed stony and sandy soil of roadsides, fields and river beds are a favourite haunt.