Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’ from Walley Morse’ in Mississippi on 4-15-12, #86-29.
Golden Creeping Jenny, Gold Moneywort, ETC…
Lysimachia cv. ‘Aurea’ & ‘Goldilocks’
Lysimachia nummularia
lye-sih-MAK-ee-ah num-ew-LAH-ree-uh
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY AWARD OF GARDEN MERIT
Synonyms of Lysimachia nummularia (13) (Updated on 12-23-23 from Plants of the World Online): Ephemerum nummularia (L.) Schur, Lysimachia nemorum Geners. ex Roem. & Schult., Lysimachia nummularia var. festiva Bélézé, Lysimachia nummularia f. longipes (David) V.Nikolic, Lysimachia nummularia subf. longipes David, Lysimachia repens Stokes, Lysimachia repens Gray, Lysimachia rotundifolia F.W.Schmidt, Lysimachia suaveolens Schönh. ex Garcke, Lysimachusa nummularia (L.) Pohl, Nummularia centimorbia Fourr., Nummularia prostrata Opiz, Nummularia repens Gilib.
Lysimachia nummularia L. is the accepted scientific name for this species of Lysimachia. It was named and described by Carl von Linnaeus in Species Plantarum in 1753.
The genus, Lysimachia Tourn. ex L., was first named and described by Joseph Pitton de Tournefort. It was later described by Carl von Linnaeus in Species Plantarum in 1753 giving Mr. Tournefort the credit for naming the genus.
As of 12-23-23 when this page was last updated, Plants of the World Online lists 278 accepted species in the Lysimachia genus. The genus is a member of the plant family Primulaceae with 57 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.
The Lysimachia genus was originally in the Primulaceae (Primrose) family, or at least it had been there for a long time. Several years ago it was reclassified and placed in the Myrsinaceae family. Not long after that, the Myrsinaceae family was included as a subfamily of the Primulaceae family and renamed Myrsinoideae. In other words, it is back where it was in the first place and probably where it belongs. Not all “groups” recognize the subfamily deal anyway.
The species Lysimachia nummularia can become quite invasive, but the gold-leaved cultivars are much less aggressive. They make nice additions to combination planters where their stems hang over the sides. I remember my grandma Miller (dad’s mom) had the green-leaved type growing along their home when I was a kid. I am not sure how old I was, maybe 8-10, but I already had a flower bed along one side of my parent’s home where I grew up. I brought some cuttings of grandma’s plants home and started it at my parent’s house. That was a very long time ago…
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Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’ nestled among the Tradescantia pallida (Purple Heart) in the west bed at the mansion in Mississippi. This photo was taken on 6-2-12, #95-32.
A good friend and fellow plant collector, Walley Morse, of Greenville, Mississippi gave me my first start of Creeping Jenny in the spring of 2012. I put in the west bed next to the sunroom at the mansion. It grew very well and I had plenty to spread around throughout the bed. It looked really well growing among the Purple Heart (Tradescantia pallida). The Purple Heart was from cuttings taken by Kyle Hall he picked up somewhere on one of his walks.
<<<<2014>>>>
Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ on 6-1-14, #228-58.
I sold the mansion in Mississippi to a group who renovated it and turned it into The Thompson House Bed and Breakfast. Dad asked me to move back to the family farm in mid-Missouri, so I did. I gave up around 200 plants but brought most of my succulents and some other plants I couldn’t part with. However, I did not think about bringing the Creeping Jenny. Life was a little strange without it so I was happy to see Lowe’s had the cultivar ‘Goldilocks’ in the spring of 2014.
I was glad dad told me I could do what I wanted on the farm and with the flower beds. You know, he is the third person that has told me that and none of them realized what was about to happen. 🙂
Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ on 7-12-14, #231-69.
During the first summer, the Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ did very well but didn’t go crazy. Some websites indicate the Creeping Jenny grows to 3′ long but that is not exactly correct. Some websites also say they spread by rhizomes. Well, that may be although I am not sure about that either. In my experience, this plant sends out stems that branch out and take root along the leaf nodes. So, to say it grows 12″ long or even 36″ long is an understatement. It can, and wants to spread indefinitely.
<<<<2015>>>>
Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ on 3-34-15, #233-3.
During the winter I thought it was all but gone. It did come back but not where I had planted it.
Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ on 5-1-15, #247-11.
USEFUL INFORMATION:
Family: Primulaceae
Origin: Many European countries.
Zones: USDA Zones 3a-10b (-40 to 35° F).
Size: 1/4-1/2” x 12-18”, spreads indefinitely.
Light: Sun to part shade. Yellow-leaved cultivars show the best color in more sun.
Soil: Prefers rich, moist, well-drained soil but does well in just about any soil.
Water: Average to wet, drought tolerant once established.
Flowers: Yellow flowers in June.
Uses: Groundcover, containers.
Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ on 6-3-15, #265-18.
This is one plant that will go where it wants to get what it wants. It is spreading out into the yard, out of the flower bed, to get more sun. Dad didn’t know what to think about that… His suggestion was to put it back in the bed but I had a different opinion. It was a good reason to make the bed bigger.
<<<<2017>>>>
Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ on 3-7-17, #312-10.
It doesn’t hurt to give the Creeping Jenny a little cover for the winter although it needs to be loose. It doesn’t seem to like a covering of leaves packed on top of it. The above photo shows it being sheltered from old Iris leaves.
Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ on 6-24-17, #349-59.
In our fourth summer together the Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ has spread to much of the bed which is what I hoped for. As I do a little weeding, it is not hard to accidentally pull up or break off pieces of this plant. I just put it in some bare spots and it takes root and grows.
Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ on 10-15-17, #383-9.
This wanderer of a plant did very well during 2018.
<<<<2018>>>>
Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ on 4-8-18, #423-19.
January was very cold here, even several -10° F days the first week. We didn’t have much snow all winter, so it was just plain cold. That isn’t good for many perennials. As usual, during the winter the Creeping Jenny completely disappeared without a trace. Then once we had a few warm days in a row, it would send up a shoot or two like it was checking if the coast was clear. Soon it was popping up in more places than it had been before.
Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ on 5-6-18, #436-37.
It’s almost as if it grows underground during the winter.
Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ on 5-17-18, #443-58.
So, despite the cold winter, the Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ will have a great and productive summer.
Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ on 6-3-18, #452-13.
The Lysimachia nummularia nicely spread clear to the steps in 2018.
Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ and Oxalis stricta on 8-1-18, #490-5.
I always pretty much let the Lysimachia nummularia and the Oxalis stricta do as they please.
<<<<2019>>>>
Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ on 3-7-19, #551-11.
The Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ didn’t die back much this past winter. We had some cool temps but there was usually snow on the ground when it happened. I had written earlier that the Lysmachia had disappeared for the winter and wondered later why I had said that… Last winter it was completely gone like it had never been there. This winter the leaves changed color but the plants themselves remained intact. That probably means they will really spread this coming summer.
Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ on 4-20-19, #560-25.
By April 20 the Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’was really coming to life…
Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ on 5-5-19, #566-47.
It has spread A LOT!
Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ on 5-5-19, #566-48.
Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ on 6-1-19, #580-10.
Then, to my surprise, they started flowering! Information online always says they are prolific bloomers but mine never flowered until 2019! This is the sixth summer I have grown this species and it FINIALLY BLOOMS!
Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ on 6-1-19, #580-11.
Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ on 12-7-19, #658-4.
After several ZAPS, the Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ has retreated somewhat but there are still patches of it that are still hanging on.
While I was wildflower hunting at a friend’s farm in the spring of 2020, I saw LOADS of Lysimachia nummularia that had gone wild. It would be very interesting to know how it got there. They are a native of Europe and probably made their way to home gardens then escaped. They could have also come here through contaminated agricultural products. As far as I know, and from what I could tell, there hasn’t been a homestead in the area I found it. It is too low and swampy for anyone to build a home there.
In the right conditions where it doesn’t completely die back in the winter, this plant will form a perpetual ground cover. It has a shallow root system, so it really doesn’t compete for moisture or nutrients. It is kind of sort of like a living mulch. Some gardeners may get a little frustrated that this plant spreads out into the yard or areas where you may not want it. Nature has a way of taking care of itself. This is not a big plant that can become obstructive or pose any kind of threat. It is just very friendly and wants to be part of your life and the other plants it grows among. If it gets out of its boundary, you can easily pull up what has grown in the yard and put it where you want it. No problem.
One more thing… Lysimachia nummularia is sometimes called Creeping Charlie by some. Creeping Charlie is actually Glechoma hederacea. Well, we all know many plants share common names.
I haven’t taken any photos of this species for a while except in the spring when they are first coming up (not very exciting). Maybe I will take more in 2024…
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