Creeping Jenny | Moneywort – Almanac Planting Co (2024)

FAQs

When should creeping jenny be planted? ›

Plants often turn more yellow-gold in full sun, but too much sun in very hot weather can bleach the leaves. Creeping jenny needs well-draining sand, loam or clay, and these vigorous plants are not picky about soil pH. Plant them in early spring in moist soil.

Growing Conditions for Creeping Jenny

It prefers full sun and well-draining, moist soil, but the soil can be acid, alkaline, or neutral. It can grow in partial shade but not as fast as in full sun.

Since creeping Jenny is a perennial in USDA zones 4-9, it's hardy enough to survive a cold winter and will return in the spring.

This European species can be invasive (so planting the green type is not recommended), but the yellow cultivar is much less aggressive and suitable for judicious use in ornamental plantings.

Creeping Jenny is not recommended for garden beds with other plants. Its aggressive nature will lead it to choke out other plant species if not managed properly. Creeping Jenny are a popular option for woodlands and large areas where it is free to grow as it pleases.

Creeping Jenny, specifically Lysimachia nummularia, is not listed as being toxic to cats and dogs. However, it's essential to note that the plant contains substances that, if ingested in large quantities, can potentially cause mild gastrointestinal upset in pets.

If Creeping Jenny is established in your lawn it may take two seasons to eradicate it. The plant can be hand pulled where practical. All stems and stem fragments should be removed from the area to prevent the stems from rooting again in the soil. Prolonged submergence will kill Creeping Jenny.

It grows rapidly and can form dense mats of vegetation that outcompete native plants for resources. Its ability to root at the nodes also makes it difficult to remove completely once it has been established. Creeping Jenny is listed in the Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States.

Or you can add a trailing vine such as Creeping Jenny or English ivy. Hostas play well with other shade-tolerant plants. Options like Shasta daisies, violas, or pansies work great. Heuchera, coleus, impatiens and begonias are excellent, too.

What does Creeping Jenny attract? ›

Vigoro mixed creeping jenny plant. The mat-forming foliage creates colorful ground cover when planted in a partly sunny spot, while the fragrant, yellow blossoms bloom during summer, attracting bees, butterflies and other pollinators.

A very low growing ground cover plant to consider is Lysimachia nummularia aurea or golden creeping Jenny. This plant is short, takes foot traffic and spreads nicely but it is a bit of a dificult color in the landscape, depending on your personal taste.

To cover a wide area, Creeping Jenny can be given quite a bit of space. 12 inches of space between plants is the recommended minimum, but these plants grow and spread so fast that they can fill up space if planted much further apart.

Overwatering and root rot are the most likely cause of problems in Creeping Jenny, since they are sensitive to wet soil. The leaves may also appear to be curling or drooping. Less often, yellow leaves are caused by underwatering, nutrient deficiencies, or pests.

Yes, Creeping Jenny is a perennial plant in the Upstate. However, it is an herbaceous perennial that dies to the ground every year and then comes back in the spring. Perennials are plants that live for more than two years, often coming back year after year.

Toxicity and Risks of Creeping Jenny

Lysimachia nummularia (Moneywort) is considered to be non-toxic to people, dogs, cats, and horses. In fact, Creeping Jenny is used in some forms of herbal medicine for treating a variety of ailments.