Garden

Golden Creeping Jenny Aurea

Botanical Name:Lysimachia nummulariaCategories: perennial, ground coverZone: 3,4,5,6,7,8,9Bloom color: yellowHeight: 4 to 6 inchesSoil: moist soilLight: Sun/Partial ShadeDiagnosis: Let me distinguish Creeping Jenny, on of my favorite plants, from a less than favorable imposter - creeping Charlie.

Creeping Charlie, Glechome hederacea, is a weed that is most often found taking over in moist, shady areas. I have received many questions asking how to rid one's lawn of creeping Charlie. The best advice I can give you about this situation is to improve the quality of your grass through proper mowing, watering and fertilizing. A healthy lawn will quickly choke out an invasion of creeping Charlie. Reducing the amount of shade and moisture in the trouble spot will also help to control this weed.

Borax laundry detergent is sometimes used to kill creeping Charlie because the plant is especially sensitive to the active ingredient boron. But I don't recommend this solution because boron does not break down in the soil over time and not only is it toxic to creeping Charlie but to other plants as well. When you add these two characteristics together you can see the potential to create an area in your garden where nothing will grow at all. Good bedfellows: • Plantain Lily

Description

The yellow-green foliage of Golden Creeping Jenny forms a dense mat of small, round, glossy leaves that looks perfect when used as a ground cover or when trailed over the edge of a potted arrangement.

Planting tips

Creeping Jenny prefers moist areas with shade to partial shade. It will also grow in full sun, but its lime green color becomes more yellow with increased light exposure.

Like creeping Charlie, once established creeping Jenny can be a bit of a garden thug. I find it is best to plant it where it is free to run wild or in containers where it can be controlled.

Suggestions

Golden creeping Jenny, Lysimachia nummularia, is a trailing plant with round or kidney shaped leaves that have that bright chartreuse color I always seem to gravitate toward. It is a tough performer that adds a real spark of color to containers and as a ground cover. I have a pair of black metal basket weave urns that I lined with sheet moss, then planted with hosta and golden creeping Jenny. The look is simple yet elegant and they are very easy to care for. As long as I keep them well watered, they seem to thrive. I also use creeping Jenny as a ground cover between the cut flagstones of the path running along the south side of my house. This area stays fairly moist and receives a fair amount of shade, the perfect conditions for creeping Jenny.

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creeping jenny

April Sims

Reply #3 on : Sun September 27, 2009, 10:05:15

What do I do with creeping jenny as far as prunning in the fall and winter months?

golden creeping jenny

PAllen

Reply #2 on : Fri July 11, 2008, 13:18:03

Kay - This plant is an evergreen groundcover that is not afraid to do its job. I find its golden color a refreshing change in the winter. Regards, P. Allen Smith

golden creeping jenny aurea

Kay Anthony

Reply #1 on : Mon July 07, 2008, 15:10:12

does the plant die back in the winter or stays green during the winter months?
Plan to use in a rockerie area.
Thanks, Kay