PlantFiles: Creeping Jenny, Moneywort
Lysimachia nummularia

I didn't plant this, but the previous homeowners did. They bought it locally, as I have seen it at Wal-Mart for sale this past spring. It has become a nuisance in how difficult it is to eradicate. I have used glyphosate (RoundUp) on it and it turns it yellow and maybe sets it back a bit, but I find it returns in a few months or the following spring. A broad-leaf weedkiller does a better job, and be sure to check on it in two weeks to make certain you killed all off the tendrils that can easily root even when cut off from the main radius. Still, this plant could use some heavy duty weedkiller, such as that used by the power-line right-of-way men that spray these types of areas. It is that persistant. I'm afraid that if I don't get rid of it before we move, it will end up growing out of hand, into areas that will not be easy to contain it, such as the woodland.
I don't mind weeds, but when they're this difficult to remove, then they should be banned from the US.

This is a very fast growing ground cover. Good for borders, hanging baskets and underneath trees. If one wants an invasive ground cover this is it. I have found this to be deer resistant.

Highly invasive in my experience. Introduced two starts in spring 06 and now must pull it out of my raised beds constantly to contain it's growth. I will remove it as quickly and completely as I can. Would not want to see this allowed to naturalize in this area. The previous owner already introduced English ivy we are battling to contain.

The cultivar 'Aurea' seems to be less invasive than the typical green type, has the benefit of the bright yellow-green coloring, and still makes a good weed-choking ground cover.

The standard version, however, made the trip with us from California four years ago as a ground cover in a pot with a Japanese maple, which was planted in the ground when we arrived here. The maple gave up the ghost shortly thereafter when it was not watered during a vacation, but the green Creeping Jenny has been on the war path ever since and not looked back. Happily, it's in a confined space where it can be controlled; even so, it has to be cut back several times a month to keep it from escaping.

We continue to plant divisions of 'Aurea' in appropriate locations, but would avoid this standard version like the plague.

I love this plant, and it is not invasive here at all for me.
I use it in containers for a wonderful burst of foliage color, and in the ground, both in shade and half day sun.

The plants in half day sun are a pretty chartruese, while the plants in the shade remain more green.

It blooms better in half day sun, but do manage to get a few blooms in the shade.
I wish I had a lot more of this gem.

I would not say necessarily that I have a negative experience, as the plant thrives and is resilient...but the last 2 springs a little gray caterpillar has chomped virtually all the leaves in the spring.
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This is great groundcover for sure, keeps weeds to a minimum...and it looks striking against darker hostas, for example. But it does "erase" very low plants and you have to keep an eye out for it running under paving stones. You can, however, pull it out relatively easily at the right time of year.

We have lived here in Mid-Arkansas for 8 years, and the previous homeowner planted this ground cover in two areas in the yard-a steep hillside, and a drainage ditch. It has invaded other areas, and only made worse when my husband used some top soil from the said area as filler for low spots. Now, it is in several places. As of two years ago, we noticed it becoming invasive, creeping into areas far from the original rooted spots, including the woods. This turned on a red flag for us -the next Kudzoo vine and Japanese Honeysuckle! I used RoundUp to control it more than once. It came back. Last year I used 2,4-d broadleaf herbicide on it twice. I thought that was the last of it. This Spring, I have found it sprouting back from the main rootstocks, though, some of the plants have been killed. I will continue to use 2,4-d to completely eradicate it.
The difficulty of this weed is that is it very low growing, and sends out shoots hidden in vegetation, including lawn grass. You can't simply pull it, as the plant breaks off, roots still intact.
We feel it should be banned from the USA,

Though I do love to look of creeping Jenny, it has been placed on the "do not plant" list in our area. Some of the wholesalers have been told to pull it off the shelves because of it's invasive nature. I will attest to the fact that it has spread in areas I didn't even plant it due to the reseeding- and I am now pulling it out from all kinds of places. It will not be contained in a container as it will reseed in the walkway, or anywhere else the wind blows!

This grows in my three season pond. I love it. It's not invasive in my 5b/6a zone. It provides habitat for frogs and crayfish, it grows where nothing else seems to want to. It gets dappled sunlight to mostly shady where it's at.

I had a 100 foot pond dug 8 feet deep in clay soil & I took cuttings from a local creeping jenny & just stuck the leaves in the ground around the sides of the pond. It makes an excellent ground cover around all the irises & daylilies which are tall enough to escape its creeping, but it will devour smaller plants. In one year it had completely covered the sides of the pond. It survives the differing water levels & grows into & under the water so fish & frogs can hide in it. I find that after it blooms is the best time to yank it away from whatever it is devouring. Just grab a handful & yank it out.I did give it a neutral because it will cover things if you dont keep up on it, but it keeps weeds at bay, too which is a plus.

This is a beautiful addition to my container garden. It grows pretty quickly, and when approaching the edge of the container, "flows" over in a cascading fashion. The chartreuse color is unique and really stands out compared to other foilage. I was also so happy to see that it survived several frosts this winter (stayed evergreen) and when warmer weather hit, started sending out more beautiful chartreuse "babies."

Great plant.....glad I discovered it!

This a great ground cover for shady areas(I'm zone 6). It grows well in part shade or dry full shade in clay soil....whick is great for me cause I've got lots of shade(and none of its that elusive mosit rich soil you always hear about). The gold leaved variety looks great with purple ajuga and is less invasive then the species. It will climb over low groing plants though......But I just pull it away.

I found this plant to be invasive, covering everything in its vicinity. I'm still trying to eliminate it! It would be ok for a planter, or for erosion control but I regret the day I planted it in my garden.

Creeping Jenny grows very fast, and looks great trailing from a shady window box. I've been planting impatiens in my north-facing window boxes for years, but I also like trying new shade--loving plants and mixing them in. I've only had it for about 2 months, so it still may choke out my impatiens before the summer is over. By next year, I'm sure it wil ltake over the whole window box. I don't mind - its bright yellow-green leaves are gorgeous!

love the chartreuse color of this plant. I grow mine in pots, so invasiveness not a problem. Gave a tiny bit to my dear neighbor last fall and today it has covered about 5 sq ft. Mine is planted in part sun, I water often in summer; she has it planted in mostly shade and requires less watering than mine.

I found this plant growing wild here in the woods along a narrow path I kept mowed. It does very well among the hostas but I have to keep pulling it from areas it has reached where I have shorter plants growing as it will climb right over anything in its path that is short enough. I love it around the pond where it will climb over the rock border and hang into the water.

I love this plant, although it definitely borders on the invasive. The golden-leaved cultivar is readily available at nurseries here in the Catskill mountains of NY and I use it extensively in pots in full sun. The green-leaved version grows wild in wet spots in my lawn, and seems to prefer partial shade. It blooms profusely and reblooms after I mow the lawn.

In Delaware, Jenny is growing nicely to provide a shade groundcover where little else will grow (like under my weeping laceleaf japanese maple). I started her indoors, and liked her so much I tried her outside in sunny pots. Too much direct sun dried her out too fast. But, in light to deep shade, she's thriving.

She's definitely prostrate here - never more than an inch high!

It grows in the shade here but not much bloom. It's cool enough here to stop it from being invasive. I am planting it in a little sunnier location to see if it will bloom more...

I have to rate this plant a "neutral" because it definitely was invasive here. It's beautiful and easy...and good to share with others...BUT it will grow right over everything in it's path! I started with about four tiny starts of this, and I was well on my way to being able to do a "comb over" on my house, by the time I decided to get rid of it.
I do love it in pots, but will never let it "loose" in my yard again!

I have had this groundcover for several years - I have never seen a bloom! It does do well in either full sun or shade. If left in the sun it will turn golden yellow, but in the shade it is a mediun green. Creeping Jennie also does well in a hanging basket.

Great groundcover, very invasive in 9b. Works great around and/or in a pond.

Zone 4: Not nearly as invasive as Sedum Acre! It's behaving very nicely in my light shade garden, the yellow green foliage brightens up the area.

Grows very quickly and works as a great groundcover. Yellow blooms abound. Needs lots of water to get started, then not so much once it is established.