Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) is a popular and versatile plant known for its low-growing, trailing stems and vibrant foliage. Its leaves, often bright green or golden-yellow, are small and coin-shaped, contributing to its common name, moneywort. This plant’s ease of growth and visual appeal make it a favored choice for groundcover or container accents.
Understanding Annuals and Perennials
Annual plants complete their entire life cycle within a single growing season, from seed to flower to seed, then die. New plants must be grown from seeds the following year.
Perennial plants, in contrast, live for more than two years, returning year after year. While their foliage and blooms may die back in colder months, their root systems survive underground, allowing new growth to emerge in spring.
Creeping Jenny’s Perennial Nature
Creeping Jenny is classified as an herbaceous perennial. Its foliage may die back during winter, especially in colder climates, but its roots and rhizomes remain alive beneath the soil. New growth emerges from these structures in spring, allowing the plant to return without replanting.
This plant demonstrates notable hardiness, capable of surviving year-round in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 or 4 through 9. In areas with milder winters, Creeping Jenny can even retain some foliage, staying evergreen. Its ability to withstand cold temperatures solidifies its status as a reliable perennial in many regions.
Gardening with Creeping Jenny
Creeping Jenny’s perennial nature makes it a vigorous, fast-growing plant that forms dense, spreading mats, making it an effective groundcover. Its trailing stems readily root wherever they touch the soil, contributing to its rapid spread. This allows it to quickly fill in bare areas, suppress weed growth, and soften hard edges in the landscape.
It excels as a groundcover in rock gardens, between stepping stones, or along pond edges, thriving in consistently moist conditions. Its cascading stems also make it a popular “spiller” plant in containers, hanging baskets, and window boxes, providing a lush, trailing effect. The plant tolerates a range of light conditions from full sun to partial shade, though its golden varieties develop more vibrant color in brighter light.
While its robust growth is desirable for coverage, Creeping Jenny’s enthusiastic spreading can outcompete or smother other plants. In some regions, it is considered an invasive species due to its aggressive spread. Regular pruning is often necessary to manage its size, and container gardening is a recommended method to contain its spread effectively. This plant is generally low-maintenance, requiring consistent moisture and benefiting from occasional fertilization in spring to support its vigorous growth.