Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia and related species) is a versatile, low-growing perennial ground cover prized for its vibrant foliage and spreading habit. Part of the Primulaceae family, it offers a range of cultivars and related species with varied colors, textures, and growth patterns, making it ideal for borders, containers, rock gardens, or hanging baskets. While the species is native to Europe, its cultivars and close relatives are popular in USDA Zones 3–9 for their ornamental appeal.
The plant produces small, cup-shaped yellow flowers in late spring to early summer, complementing its bright green or golden leaves. It thrives in moist, well-drained soil and prefers partial shade, though some cultivars tolerate full sun. Its trailing stems root easily, enabling quick coverage but requiring control to prevent invasiveness.
Creeping Jenny adapts to a wide range of climates and is hardy in diverse zones. It excels in wet meadows, stream banks, or shaded borders, often cascading over walls or rocks. In some regions, it’s considered invasive, so gardeners should monitor its spread in natural areas.
Ideal for suppressing weeds or softening hardscapes, Creeping Jenny pairs well with taller perennials. Its low-maintenance nature suits novice gardeners, though regular trimming keeps it tidy. With proper care, it provides year-round texture and vibrant color, enhancing any garden setting.
Also Read: How To Grow And Care For Creeping Jenny From Seeds
Varieties of Creeping Jenny
Golden Creeping Jenny
Perhaps the most widely grown of all the varieties, Golden Creeping Jenny is celebrated for its luminous chartreuse-to-gold foliage that shifts in intensity depending on light levels — lime green in shade and bright gold in partial sun. It forms a dense, low mat of coin-shaped leaves just 2 to 4 inches tall and spreads vigorously, making it an excellent choice for filling gaps between stepping stones, edging borders, or trailing gracefully over the rim of a container. Small yellow flowers appear intermittently through summer, though they tend to be subtle against the bright foliage.
Common Creeping Jenny (Species Form)
This is the original, unimproved wild form from which most cultivars are derived. It bears lush, soft green, rounded leaves along trailing stems that spread eagerly and root wherever they touch moist soil. Cup-shaped bright yellow flowers appear from late spring through early summer and are more conspicuous here than in the golden varieties. It forms dense mats in moist, shaded spots and is perfectly suited to stream banks, pond margins, and wild garden settings. Gardeners should monitor it carefully, as it can be quite invasive in favorable conditions.
Goldilocks Creeping Jenny
‘Goldilocks’ offers chartreuse to golden foliage that sits slightly darker in tone compared to the well-known golden form, giving it a warmer, more buttery appearance. It grows to around 2 to 3 inches in height and spreads at a brisk pace, though it tends to be better behaved in containers where its growth is naturally limited. It blooms sparingly with small yellow flowers and thrives in partial shade with consistently moist soil. Its reliable cold hardiness makes it a popular pick across a wide range of climates.
Midnight Sun Creeping Jenny
A striking departure from the familiar gold-leafed types, Midnight Sun features deep bronze-green foliage with a glossy, almost lacquered sheen. This richer, darker tone provides a beautiful contrast when planted alongside lighter ground covers or golden-leaved perennials. It grows to about 2 to 4 inches tall and spreads up to 18 inches, producing occasional yellow flowers. It performs best in partial shade with steady moisture, which helps preserve the intensity of its distinctive leaf color.
Eco Dark Satin Creeping Jenny
This cultivar is a relative of the common creeping jenny but is noticeably less aggressive in its spread. It features dark green leaves that have a slightly fuzzy or velvety texture — unusual among the creeping jennies — along with dense clusters of bright yellow flowers in late spring. It grows taller than most in this group, reaching 4 to 6 inches, and spreads 12 to 18 inches. It suits borders and gap-filling roles beautifully and does well in both full sun and partial shade provided the soil stays moist.
Golden Alexander Creeping Jenny
Unlike most creeping jenny types, Golden Alexander has an upright rather than prostrate growth habit, reaching 12 to 24 inches in height. Its variegated leaves are edged in cream against a golden-green background, lending it a fresh, bright appearance throughout the growing season. Yellow flowers appear in summer, adding further interest. It spreads much more slowly than the trailing types and is considered less invasive, making it a practical choice for gardeners who want the look of creeping jenny with a more manageable habit in Zones 4 to 8.
Persian Chocolate Creeping Jenny
One of the most visually dramatic of all the cultivars, Persian Chocolate stands out for its deep purple-bronze foliage that creates a rich, moody effect in the garden. The contrast between the dark leaves and the vivid yellow flowers it produces in spring and early summer is spectacular. Growing 4 to 6 inches tall with a spread of 12 to 18 inches, it is well suited to containers, mixed planters, and shaded borders where its color makes it a natural focal point. Partial shade and moist, well-drained soil bring out the best in this variety.
Firecracker Creeping Jenny
Firecracker is a taller, more upright member of the creeping jenny family, growing anywhere from 18 to 36 inches in height. Its most arresting feature is its burgundy-purple foliage, which provides a bold and sophisticated colour accent in mixed borders and naturalized plantings. Small yellow flowers appear in summer, adding a warm contrast to the dark leaves. While it does spread via creeping rhizomes, it does so more slowly than the traditional trailing types, making it a more manageable choice for garden beds in Zones 3 to 8.
Gold Clusters Creeping Jenny
Gold Clusters is a compact, floriferous cultivar that truly earns its name — it produces abundant clusters of yellow flowers from spring through summer, often covering the bright golden foliage in bloom. Growing 3 to 5 inches tall and spreading 12 to 18 inches, it is well proportioned for hanging baskets and rock gardens. It adapts well to both full sun and partial shade and offers reasonable drought tolerance once established, which sets it apart from many of its more moisture-dependent relatives.
Minutissima Creeping Jenny
This is the miniaturist’s creeping jenny — a tiny Japanese species that forms incredibly dense, moss-like mats of minute green leaves, growing just 1 to 2 inches tall. Its small yellow flowers appear in summer and are perfectly in scale with its delicate foliage. It is ideally suited to rock gardens, troughs, or the gaps between pavers where its fine texture creates a lush carpet effect without overwhelming surrounding plants. It prefers partial shade and consistently moist, well-drained soil, and is hardy in Zones 4 to 8.
Beaujolais Creeping Jenny
Named for its rich, wine-like tones, Beaujolais is a cultivar that features deep burgundy foliage with a metallic sheen that catches the light beautifully. Yellow flowers emerge in spring, creating a vivid contrast against the dark leaves. It grows 4 to 6 inches tall with a spread of 12 to 18 inches and presents a sophisticated, jewel-toned appearance whether used as a ground cover or in a mixed container. Partial shade and moist soil are its preferred conditions, and it performs particularly well in shaded garden corners where it adds unexpected elegance.
Purple Gooseneck Creeping Jenny
This upright relative of creeping jenny is notable for its silvery-green leaves and its elegant, arching spikes of deep purple flowers that bloom in summer — a distinctive feature that sets it well apart from the yellow-flowered species in the family. It grows 18 to 24 inches tall and spreads slowly, making it suitable for damp borders and naturalized areas without the invasiveness concerns of the trailing types. Hardy in Zones 4 to 8, it is valued for the architectural grace it brings to planted borders.
Outback Sunset Creeping Jenny
Outback Sunset is a cheerful, warm-toned cultivar with golden-yellow foliage that carries soft green undertones, giving it a sunlit, glowing quality in the garden. Clusters of bright yellow flowers appear from late spring into early summer. Growing 4 to 6 inches tall and spreading 12 to 18 inches, it is less aggressive than the common species and well suited to containers and border edges. It thrives in full sun to partial shade and appreciates moist, well-drained soil conditions throughout the growing season.
Gold Nuggets Creeping Jenny
A compact form with a vivid, eye-catching character, Gold Nuggets produces chartreuse foliage that appears to glow in full sun as if lit from within. It grows 2 to 3 inches tall with a spread of 12 to 18 inches and produces small yellow flowers in summer. It is especially effective as a spiller in pots and container arrangements, where its bright colour creates strong contrast with dark-leafed companions. In hot climates, some afternoon shade is beneficial to keep the leaves from scorching.
Golden Globe Creeping Jenny
Golden Globe is a low-growing, tidy species that produces glossy, golden-green leaves and star-shaped yellow flowers from spring through summer. Growing 3 to 5 inches tall and spreading 12 to 15 inches, it forms neat, well-defined mats that are ideal for edging paths or filling small spaces in the garden. Hardy in Zones 5 to 8, it is appreciated for its orderly habit and is less likely to become problematic than the more vigorous spreading types. It performs best in partial shade with moist, well-drained soil.
Walkabout Sunset Creeping Jenny
Walkabout Sunset is a warm-toned cultivar that offers bronze-green foliage washed with golden highlights, producing a rich autumnal effect even in midsummer. Abundant yellow flowers appear in spring, brightening the display considerably. It grows 4 to 6 inches tall and spreads 12 to 18 inches, making it suitable for use as ground cover, in hanging baskets, or trailing from window boxes. It is at its most beautiful in full sun to partial shade with consistently moist soil, and its multi-toned leaves make it a popular choice for mixed container plantings.
Green Carpet Creeping Jenny
As the name suggests, Green Carpet retains the classic fresh green foliage of the original species but in a more controlled, denser form, producing a lush carpet effect across the ground. It grows 2 to 4 inches tall and spreads up to 2 feet, with yellow flowers appearing in early summer. The tighter, more refined habit makes it an excellent choice for shaded borders, stream banks, and wetland garden margins where a uniform green mat is desired. Hardy in Zones 3 to 9, it is one of the most cold-tolerant of all the creeping jenny selections.
Geisha Gooseneck Loosestrife
This graceful upright relative is valued primarily for its creamy-yellow variegated foliage rather than its flowers, though it does produce elegant white arching flower spikes in summer that are a highlight of the late garden season. Growing 18 to 24 inches tall, it spreads more slowly than the true trailing types, making it a safer choice for mixed borders where control is a priority. It offers a luminous, layered look in partially shaded plantings and works particularly well when paired with bold-leaved perennials.
Lyssi Creeping Jenny
Lyssi is a compact cultivar in the same family as Outback Sunset and Walkabout Sunset, featuring mounded, mat-like growth with stems that are stiffer and more branching than those of the common trailing types. It is a better-behaved plant overall and is often recommended for indoor cultivation or container growing where its tidier habit is an advantage. Its foliage carries warm green tones and it produces bright yellow flowers that emerge in pleasing clusters. It grows best in moist, humus-rich growing media in a position with bright indirect light or gentle morning sun.
Fragrant Cloud Creeping Jenny
Fragrant Cloud is a hybrid cultivar that differs from the standard trailing types in having a more upright, mounded form, growing 8 to 12 inches tall. It produces lemon-yellow flowers that are notable for their fragrance — a quality almost never found in other members of the creeping jenny family. Because it produces very few spreading stolons, it is far better suited to mixed containers and hanging baskets where trailing growth is not desired. Hardy in Zones 6 to 9, it brings both delicate scent and soft colour to plantings in partially shaded spots.
Freckles Creeping Jenny
Freckles is a visually intriguing cultivar that stands out for its cream-and-green variegated foliage speckled with small burgundy freckles, giving it a playful, dappled appearance. It forms a compact mat just 3 to 4 inches tall and is considered non-invasive in most container settings, as it does not produce viable seed readily in most climates. Consistent moisture is important to keep it looking its best. It is hardy in Zones 5 to 9 and suits rock gardens, small containers, and border edges where an unusual textural detail is welcome.
Lime Light Creeping Jenny
Lime Light is a soft, subtle cultivar with pale lime-green to cream-toned foliage that offers a quiet, almost luminous quality in shaded garden spots. It tends to be less vigorous than the golden-foliaged types and is well suited to mixed plantings where a cool, restrained colour palette is desired. Yellow flowers appear in season, providing a gentle harmony with the understated leaf tones. It performs well in 3 to 5 hours of dappled sunlight with reliably moist, well-drained soil and is a good companion for deeper-toned ground covers.
Moneywort
Moneywort is one of the oldest common names for the classic creeping jenny, referring to the coin-like roundness of its small, paired leaves that string along its trailing stems. This name is particularly associated with the green-leafed species form grown in its traditional European homeland, where it was historically used in folk medicine. It spreads enthusiastically in moist, partly shaded conditions and produces cheerful bright yellow flowers in summer. It is especially valued in water garden settings, where it can creep attractively along the margins of ponds and streams.
Herb Twopence
Herb Twopence is another traditional common name for the original green creeping jenny, historically applied to the plant because of the resemblance of its paired, rounded leaves to two coins laid side by side. Botanically identical to the common species form, it is a name most often encountered in older British horticultural references and wild plant guides. It grows in the same low, spreading manner and thrives in damp meadows, hedgerow bases, and stream sides. In the modern garden it is most at home in naturalistic or cottage-style settings where its informal character is an asset.
Waikiki Sunset Creeping Jenny
Waikiki Sunset is closely related to the Outback and Walkabout Sunset cultivars and shares their warm, multi-toned foliage character. Its leaves blend shades of green, gold, and bronze, evoking the layered warmth of a tropical sunset. It produces bright yellow flower clusters in spring and grows in a mounded, mat-like fashion, typically reaching 4 to 6 inches in height. It is particularly popular in container arrangements and hanging baskets where its colourful foliage can be appreciated close up. Partial shade and moist, fertile soil keep the warm tones vivid throughout the growing season.
Why Choose Creeping Jenny Varieties?
These Lysimachia nummularia cultivars and related species, offer diverse foliage colors, from golden to burgundy, and varying growth habits for versatile landscaping. They’re low-maintenance, attract pollinators, and thrive in moist, well-drained soils, though some can be invasive in wetlands. Check local regulations, as L. nummularia is restricted in states like Connecticut due to invasiveness.
Tips for Growing Creeping Jenny
- Light: Provide full sun for golden cultivars, partial shade for green or dark varieties to prevent scorching.
- Soil: Use moist, well-drained soil; amend with compost for fertility.
- Watering: Keep soil consistently moist, especially in full sun; most tolerate brief dry spells.
- Care: Trim back in spring to control spread, divide every 2–3 years, and monitor for invasiveness in wet areas.