Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea')
Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea', or Creeping Jenny, offers brilliant golden foliage and bright yellow summer flowers, thriving as a vigorous ground cover.
Complete Plant Information
Overview
Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’, widely known as Creeping Jenny, is a highly valued herbaceous perennial prized for its bright, chartreuse to golden foliage that cascades beautifully. This vigorous ground cover spreads rapidly via trailing stems that root where leaf nodes touch the soil, quickly forming dense mats of color across the landscape. The striking leaf color of this cultivar provides year-round interest, though optimal performance and best yellow color are achieved when grown in full sun.
While Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’ thrives in moist, fertile areas, gardeners should manage its spread carefully due to its naturalizing tendency. It is perfect for softening edges, covering banks, or serving as a vibrant accent near water features. The prolific, bright yellow flowers that appear in early summer enhance its ornamental appeal, adding yet another layer of color to the golden foliage.
This durable plant tolerates various difficult conditions, including wet soils, making it an excellent choice for rain gardens or damp borders where other plants might struggle. When planning your garden, consider the aggressive, yet attractive, habit of Creeping Jenny as an effective solution for low-maintenance textural coverage.
Fast Facts
- Plant Family: Primulaceae
- Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Hardiness Zones: USDA Zones 3-9
- Size at Maturity:
- Height: 0.25-0.5 ft
- Spread: 1-1.5 ft
- Bloom Time: June
- Bloom Description: Yellow
- Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
- Water Needs: Medium to wet
- Maintenance Level: Medium
How to Grow
Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’ is easily established when planted in spring or fall in moist, humus-rich, well-drained soils. While it adapts to many conditions, the brightest foliage color—the hallmark of the ‘Aurea’ cultivar—is achieved under full sun exposure. However, in hotter climates, afternoon shade can help prevent leaf scorch and maintain vibrant lime green tones if full sun proves too intense.
Watering should be consistent, especially during establishment, as Creeping Jenny prefers medium to wet soil conditions. Fertilizing is generally unnecessary if the soil is fertile, but the plant performs best when moisture is abundant. Pruning is primarily related to containment; where aggressive spread is not desired, shear back stems regularly to maintain desired boundaries or contain its colony-forming habit.
As stems root freely at the leaf nodes upon contact with soil, maintenance often involves controlling its migration into unwanted areas like lawns or perennial beds. If you notice yellow foliage reverting to the green species color, try increasing its sun exposure or reducing soil fertility slightly to encourage the desirable golden hue in your Creeping Jenny.
Landscape Uses
Creeping Jenny excels in roles requiring rapid coverage across moist, sunny to partially shaded spaces. Where aggressive spread is not a concern, its use as a highly effective ground cover for banks, slopes, or woodland edges is unmatched, quickly forming a durable, leafy mat. The trailing stems allow Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’ to gracefully spill over retaining walls or stone edging, providing vertical contrast to adjacent hardscaping.
For gardeners needing plants for water margins, this species is highly suited for streamside plantings, pond edges, or rain gardens due to its high tolerance for saturation. It pairs well with taller, moisture-loving perennials that appreciate similar cultural needs, such as hostas or irises, creating depth near water features.
Conversely, if left unchecked, this vigorous ground cover can easily outcompete less robust border plants or creep into lawns. In controlled settings, containers and hanging baskets offer an excellent way to showcase the cascading habit of Creeping Jenny while completely preventing unwanted propagation into the garden soil.
Standout Features
Flower Qualities
- Showy
Noteworthy Characteristics
Lysimachia nummularia, commonly called moneywort or creeping Jenny, is a low-growing, creeping ground cover native to Europe. Mature plants form a leafy mat only 2-4” tall and spreading to fill a 2’ area or greater, with roots forming where leaf nodes contact the soil. It features rounded, slightly ruffled leaves and produces profuse, cup-shaped, solitary, bright yellow flowers throughout the summer.
Tolerances
- Wet Soil
- Shallow-Rocky Soil
Potential Problems
This plant typically enjoys a clean bill of health concerning major insect pests, though it can occasionally be susceptible to fungal issues like rust and leaf spots. The primary challenge associated with Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’ is its vigorous habit, which leads to unwanted spread; close monitoring is essential to prevent it from becoming invasive in certain regions. Always check local agricultural recommendations, as Creeping Jenny is classified as invasive in some parts of the United States. Should the striking yellow foliage begin to revert to the greener species color, adjust cultural practices, often by ensuring maximum sun exposure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zones is Creeping Jenny suitable for?
Creeping Jenny, or Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’, is reliably hardy across USDA Zones 3 through 9.
How large does Creeping Jenny grow?
This vigorous perennial typically remains very low, reaching a mature height between 0.25 and 0.5 feet, but it can spread significantly wide, covering 1 to 1.5 feet or more.
What sun exposure does Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’ need?
The ideal situation for Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’ is full sun to partial shade, although best golden foliage color development requires significant sun exposure.
When does Creeping Jenny bloom?
Creeping Jenny features bright yellow flowers, with the main bloom display usually occurring in June.
Conclusion
The vivid golden carpet provided by Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’ offers outstanding color and excellent soil stabilization for tricky, moist garden spots. Its rapid ground-covering capabilities make Creeping Jenny a highly effective, though sometimes assertive, addition to the garden palette. Ensure you select areas where its vigorous spread is welcomed or plan for regular containment before planting this versatile perennial.
Companion Planting
When designing areas adjacent to Creeping Jenny, pair it with plants that share a preference for moist soils but offer textural or height contrast. Tall, upright plants like Siberian Iris or Astilbe make excellent companions, as their vertical lines balance the low, mounding habit of the ground cover. Consider planting alongside moisture-loving ferns or robust Hostas, provided the Hostas are protected from the encroaching runners of the Lysimachia.
Seasonal Care Calendar
During early spring, it is a good time to clean up any winter debris and shear back any stems that might have died back or become too ragged. Throughout the active growing season from late spring through summer, focus primarily on irrigation, ensuring the soil remains consistently moist to support both foliage color and vigorous growth of the yellow-leaved Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’. In autumn, while minimal work is required, be mindful of any creeping stems that may enter garden paths or lawn edges, cutting them back before winter dormancy sets in.
