Creeping Jenny 'Aurea'
Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea' · Primulaceae Popular
Trailing stems of round, coin-like, golden-yellow leaves that root wherever they touch the ground, with yellow cup-shaped flowers in early summer.
- Size
- 3 in tall, 24 in wide
- Zones
- 3 to 9
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Flowers
- Grown for its leaves; flowers early June to mid July
- Pets
- No toxicity recorded
- Job in a bed
- Carpet
Invasive in parts of North America. Spreads fast by creeping stems that root as they go, and runs into lawns and wet ground. The species is listed as invasive in parts of the Northeast and Midwest, and is banned from sale in Massachusetts. The gold form is less vigorous, but can revert to green. The planner never chooses it.
Where creeping Jenny 'Aurea' goes in a border
At 3 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is ground-hugging (up to 6 in).
Its job: carpet. A groundcover planted in threes and fives to cover the soil: along the front, and just behind it.
A brilliant gold carpet, and the classic partner for dark leaves. Because the species invades wet ground, the planner will not choose it for a bed; it is safest in a container.
- Trailing from containers
- Gold groundcover beside ponds
- Between stepping stones in moist soil
What to plant with creeping Jenny 'Aurea'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Hosta 'Halcyon': bold leaves against its fine ones; spires rising out of its mound; tall enough (18 in) to stand behind it.
- Bugleweed 'Black Scallop': adds the flowers, early May to late May; spires rising out of its mound; tall enough (6 in) to stand behind it.
- Astilbe: adds the flowers, late June to mid July; tall enough (24 in) to stand behind it; happy in the same moist soil.
Questions about creeping Jenny 'Aurea'
Does creeping Jenny 'Aurea' need sun or shade?
Creeping Jenny 'Aurea' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day), part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun) and part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning).
It wants soil that stays evenly moist, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells. It copes with soil that stays wet.
What zones does creeping Jenny 'Aurea' grow in?
USDA zones 3 to 9. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
How far apart should creeping Jenny 'Aurea' be planted?
18 in (45 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 24 in (60 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 3 in (8 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many creeping Jenny 'Aurea' plants do I need?
At 18 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 5 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 7 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 17 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as threes and fives, along the front and just behind it.
Is creeping Jenny 'Aurea' poisonous to dogs and cats?
No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.
"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.
What can I plant instead of creeping Jenny 'Aurea'?
Creeping Jenny 'Aurea' is listed as invasive in parts of North America, so the planner never uses it. These do the most similar job, and are native:
- Woodland stonecrop: the same job in a bed; 10 in narrower, flowers late April to late May.
- Creeping phlox: the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers mid April to mid May, wants average soil.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
Do deer eat creeping Jenny 'Aurea'?
They may. NC State does not list it as resistant to deer or rabbits. Where they visit, protect it, or plant it among ones they avoid.
Will creeping Jenny 'Aurea' spread?
It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is high. Spreads fast by creeping stems that root as they go, and runs into lawns and wet ground. The species is listed as invasive in parts of the Northeast and Midwest, and is banned from sale in Massachusetts. The gold form is less vigorous, but can revert to green.
It is listed as invasive in parts of North America, and the planner never chooses it.
What does creeping Jenny 'Aurea' look like in winter?
Creeping Jenny 'Aurea' holds some of its leaves into winter, more in a mild year or a sheltered spot, and they look tired by March. Cut the old ones off as new growth starts.
More Lysimachia
- Fringed loosestrife 'Firecracker' Lysimachia ciliata 'Firecracker'
- Gooseneck loosestrife Lysimachia clethroides
- Yellow loosestrife Lysimachia punctata
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial (groundcover)
- Size
- 3 in (8 cm) tall, 24 in (60 cm) wide
- Plant
- 18 in (45 cm) apart
- Height class
- Ground-hugging (up to 6 in)
- Place in the bed
- Front
- Flowers
- Early June to mid July; open bowls; yellow
- Leaves
- Fine texture, semi-evergreen; chartreuse
- Shape
- Mat-forming, spreading
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 3 to 9
- Light
- Full sun, part sun, part shade
- Soil
- Average, evenly moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- None needed
- Family
- Primulaceae
- Comes from
- Europe, Asia
- Stands up to
- Wet soil
Checked against NC State Extension and VASCAN (plants of Canada). Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.