Ornamental · Primulaceae
Creeping Jenny
Lysimachia nummularia
A low gold carpet that settles happily into moist ground in shade or sun, and grows fast enough that a light hand keeps it where you want it.
Full sun
Every 2–5 days
USDA 3–9
2–4 in · 5–10 cm
Overview
Creeping Jenny is a low, quick groundcover whose round, coin-shaped leaves hug the soil and spill softly over the rims of pots and walls. The golden forms bring a glow of chartreuse to gold foliage to shady corners, while the plain green species keeps to a deeper green. It is part of the primrose family and adores damp ground, which is why you will often find it welcomed into rain gardens and along pond edges.
The very thing that makes it easy can also keep you on your toes, but it is nothing you cannot handle. Its stems root at every node they touch, so even a small plug knits into a dense mat in one season, and that mat keeps reaching outward. It is hardy from USDA zone 3 to 9 and laughs off cold down to -40°F (-40°C), so once it feels at home it is there to stay.
The thing to watch is its love of roaming. The green species can slip out of gardens and into wetlands, stream banks, and moist woodlands, and it is listed as invasive or regulated in parts of the US. Give it a clear edge or a container and it rewards you as a lovely, dependable carpet. Let it run loose near water and it becomes a worry, so a little planning up front saves you trouble later.
Care
The short version: offer it steady moisture and either sun for the brightest gold or shade for greener, scorch-free leaves. Settle it into rich, damp soil, feed it only rarely, and trim the runners now and then so it stays where you would like it.
Light
It happily grows in everything from full sun to full shade, so you have real freedom here. Full sun draws out the brightest gold color, yet it can scorch the leaves where the soil runs dry, so a shadier spot gives you greener, sturdier foliage with far less worry.
Water
Keep the soil moist to wet at all times, because the roots sit shallow and the plant feels it quickly when things dry out. Water it every 2 to 5 days, and a bit more in heat, and rest assured it is perfectly content even in shallow standing water at a pond edge.
Soil
Settle it into rich, damp, humus-rich soil that holds onto moisture. Beyond that it is wonderfully unfussy, taking clay, loam, sand, or shallow rocky ground across a wide pH of 5.5 to 8.0, and even shrugging off the occasional flood.
Temperature
This is a remarkably cold-hardy plant, at ease anywhere from about -40°F to 100°F (-40°C to 38°C). That toughness across USDA zones 3 to 9 is part of why it settles in and spreads so freely once it is happy.
Humidity
Ordinary outdoor humidity suits it fine, and there is no number you need to chase. What it truly cares about is wet feet, not damp air, so give your attention to the soil and let the atmosphere look after itself.
Feeding
It asks for very little at the table. A single helping of balanced general-purpose fertilizer in spring is plenty for this low-maintenance groundcover, and plenty of gardeners skip feeding it altogether without any trouble.
Pruning
Trim or shear the creeping stems whenever you feel like it to keep the patch tidy and contained. Just pull out any stems that have rooted beyond where you want them, and that small bit of attention is really the only chore this plant asks of you.
Repotting
In containers, refresh or divide it whenever it grows crowded, and it takes the disruption in stride. Watch for a mat spilling over the edges, a thinning center, or roots filling the pot, then split it to bring back its energy.
Size & spacing
Each plant stays low at just 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) tall but reaches 12 to 24 inches (30 to 60 cm) wide, and it keeps on going. Space your plants with that fast spread in mind, and give it room to wander or an edge to lean against.
When to plant
Creeping Jenny is easygoing about its timing, so there is no need to fuss. Plant it in spring once the frost has passed, or in fall, and watch for its small yellow cup-shaped flowers to open in early summer around June.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: Spring after frost, or fall
- Harvest: Yellow cup-shaped flowers in early summer (around June)
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 3–9
Temperature: down to -40°C
Troubleshooting
Most of the time, the questions with creeping Jenny are about where it lives rather than whether it will survive, since it is a tough little thing. The two things to keep a gentle eye on are holding it within bounds and sparing the gold leaves from scorch. Find what you are seeing below, then step in early before a runner or a dry spell gets a head start.
When the stems wander off and the patch keeps growing
Here is the one thing to stay ahead of, and you can absolutely manage it: this plant's eager spread, which is strongest in the plain green species. Each stem puts down roots wherever a node rests on soil, and even broken bits can resprout, so a patch will reach toward neighbors and into wet ground if left alone. Dig out the runners and rooted pieces, give it a gentle shear to hold its shape, and lean on a root barrier or pot near any natural water. If you simply love the look, the softer golden 'Aurea' is a kinder choice.
Fix:
- Pull or dig out runners and rooted stem fragments, removing all pieces since fragments resprout
- Shear or mow back regularly to confine the patch
- Install root barriers or grow in containers to limit spread
- Choose the less-aggressive golden 'Aurea' form for ornamental use
Leaves looking spotted, rusty, or nibbled ragged
Damp spots invite two visitors: rust and leaf spot diseases, and slugs that can chew a mat down to almost nothing where they cluster. Open the planting a little so air moves through it, pluck off the worst-marked leaves, then handle slugs with traps, baits, or a quiet evening of hand removal. Take heart, the plant nearly always bounces back from slug damage and fills right in.
Fix:
- Improve air circulation and avoid prolonged leaf wetness for disease
- Remove and discard badly affected foliage
- Control slugs with traps, baits, or hand removal
Gold leaves fading or crisping along the edges in heat
Do not worry, this is just sun scorch on a plant whose roots sit shallow and dislike going dry. That glowing gold loves full sun, yet hot dry sun nips the leaf edges brown wherever the soil runs short of water. Keep the ground gently moist, and offer a little afternoon shade if your summers run hot, and the leaves will be happy again.
Fix:
- Keep soil consistently moist
- Provide afternoon shade in hot southern climates
- Water more often during heat
Toxicity
Here is reassuring news if you share your home with animals: creeping Jenny is not toxic. It is absent from the ASPCA poison lists and safe around cats, dogs, and other pets, with at most a mild upset stomach if one eats a good many leaves. The thing to mind is its spreading, not any poison, so your job is simply keeping it contained rather than keeping it away from curious mouths.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
You can relax around cats, since this plant is not toxic and never appears on the ASPCA list. If a curious cat chews a good amount of foliage it might drool or be a little sick, but that is an ordinary upset tummy and nothing dangerous.
Dogs None
Dogs are just as safe here. A pup that gulps down a big mouthful of leaves may get a brief unsettled stomach, and that is truly the worst of it.
Horses Safe
There is no reported toxicity in horses, so a patch growing near where they graze gives you nothing to fret about.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits can nibble away at the leaves without coming to harm. Like any fresh green, just offer it slowly at first so their tummies have time to settle into it.
Livestock Safe
Cattle, goats, and sheep have no known toxic risk from this gentle groundcover, so you can breathe easy.
Birds Safe
Backyard and wild birds that poke around the leaves and stems face no toxic danger at all.
People Safe
Touching it and brushing against it are perfectly safe, and gloves are entirely up to you. It is grown to be enjoyed by the eye rather than the plate, so there is no reason to taste it.
No special handling needed for toxicity; gloves optional. The practical caution is containing its aggressive spread, not poisoning.
Varieties
Most gardeners reach for one of the golden selections rather than the plain green species, and either is forgiving to grow. These are the two you are most likely to meet.
'Aurea' (Golden Creeping Jenny)
Those little coin-shaped leaves turn a warm chartreuse to gold in full sun and ease into lime green in shade, and this one runs a touch gentler than the green species while still filling in nicely fast.
'Goldilocks'
A very low golden-yellow carpet that reaches 1 to 3 feet across, with rounded leaves that may quietly turn back to green as the seasons pass.
How to propagate
Creeping Jenny all but propagates itself, which is part of its charm and a gentle reminder to keep it in check. Any of three easy methods will hand you new plants in a few weeks.
DivisionEasy
Spring or fall · A few weeks
Division in spring or fall is the friendliest place to start, and it is hard to get wrong. Lift a clump from the edge of a patch, ease apart the chunks that already have roots, and tuck them back in, and they will be settled within a few weeks.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Spring through summer · A few weeks
Cuttings ask almost nothing of you from spring through summer. Rest a healthy stem on moist soil and it will quietly strike roots at the nodes, leaving you with a rooted little plant in a few weeks.
LayeringEasy
Growing season · A few weeks
Layering simply takes care of itself all season long. The trailing stems root themselves wherever a node meets damp ground, taking hold in a few weeks while you do nothing more than watch.
Myths
Creeping Jenny is a tidy, well-behaved groundcover you can plant anywhere.
The plain green species is actually an enthusiastic mat-former that roots at every node, slips out of gardens, and moves into wetlands, stream banks, and moist woodlands, and it is listed as invasive or regulated in parts of the US. The good news is the fix is simple: choose its spot with care and keep it contained, and reach for the gentler golden 'Aurea' in your ornamental beds.