Lysimachia nummularia, widely known as Creeping Jenny or Moneywort, is a popular perennial plant in ornamental gardening. This species is valued for its dense, mat-forming habit and its distinctive foliage, which is often a bright chartreuse or golden color in the cultivar ‘Aurea’. The small, rounded leaves grow in opposite pairs along the stems, resembling tiny coins, which is the source of the common name Moneywort. Gardeners frequently use this plant to create a lush carpet in moist areas or as an accent in containers.
The Definitive Growth Habit
Creeping Jenny is strictly a creeper and does not possess the structures necessary for true climbing. It is a vigorous, prostrate perennial whose stems naturally grow horizontally along the ground surface. This low-growing groundcover creates a dense mat typically only two to four inches tall. The flexible stems spread laterally across the soil rather than attempting to ascend vertical structures.
Unlike true climbers such as ivy or grapes, Creeping Jenny lacks specialized structures like tendrils or adhesive pads to grip surfaces. Its movement is strictly horizontal on flat ground. When planted at an elevation, it will cascade downward due to gravity, a sprawling habit that allows it to cover large areas quickly.
Understanding Its Rooting Structure
The scientific reason for Creeping Jenny’s horizontal nature lies in its method of propagation, known as adventitious rooting. Along its stems are specialized points called nodes, where leaves emerge and where the plant is genetically programmed to produce roots. When a node makes contact with moist soil, it quickly develops slender, fibrous roots that anchor the stem to the ground.
This constant re-rooting is the mechanism that prevents the plant from growing upright or climbing. Each new set of roots effectively creates a new, independent plantlet, securing the entire vine to the surface. This process allows the plant to spread rapidly and indefinitely, making it an effective groundcover.
Utilizing Creeping Jenny for Vertical Display
Although Creeping Jenny does not climb, gardeners successfully use it to create a stunning visual effect that appears vertical. This is achieved by planting it in containers, hanging baskets, or along the edges of raised beds and retaining walls. In these scenarios, the stems grow outward and then downward over the edge.
The long, trailing stems create an elegant, cascading curtain of foliage that softens the hard edges of garden structures. In container gardening, Creeping Jenny is classified as a “spiller” plant, complementing the taller “thriller” and middle “filler” plants. This downward movement is simply the result of the plant’s flexible stems succumbing to gravity, not active climbing behavior.