Golden Creeping Jenny for Groundcover or Containers

A good groundcover is like the piece of lettuce under a serving of chicken salad on a luncheon plate. It makes the star of the meal look better without drawing attention to itself. Groundcover plants do not receive as much attention as shrubs, annuals, or perennials. They just do their job, providing an under-dressing to feature plants while spreading to cover bare soil, reducing erosion, and shading out weeds. One that defies tradition and draws attention to itself is Lysmachia nummularia ‘Aurea,’ widely known as Creeping Jenny. 

Creeping Jenny will grow in sun, part shade or even mostly shade. Its bright chartreuse hue makes its neighbors look better by contrast. Leaf color will be more golden in areas with bright sun and more lime green in areas with mostly shade. It will spread vigorously, and is considered invasive in some states. If this concerns you, plant it where it is restrained by walkways or metal edging. The vines grow almost flat (three inches or less) and form roots wherever stems touch soil. This rooting habit means they can bounce back from occasional damage from foot traffic or pets (like the black kitten in the accompanying photograph). It will drape over walls like a chartreuse curtain. Plants rarely grow upward more than an inch or two, so there is no concern about it creeping up trees. If the plant grows outside its intended area, the fine stems are easily pruned with a pair of utility scissors.

Lysmachia nummularia ‘Aurea’ (lis-uh-MAK-ee-ah num-ew-LAH-ree-uh, but internet sources offer multiple suggested pronunciations) tolerates heat and humidity. It looks best when grown in rich soil with moderate moisture. It will grow slower in lean soils and with less moisture. The vine-like mat is perennial in zones 3 through 8. Winter cold may make some of the leaves shed or take on a reddish hue, but it recovers quickly with the return of warm weather.

Creeping Jenny can be used in containers, either as a single specimen in a hanging basket or in a mixed planting, where it will cascade over the rim of the planter. It looks especially nice at the edges of water features and makes a good partner to upright sedges and ferns. If you choose to pair this one with a variegated plant, choose a companion whose variegation color is in the yellow family (as opposed to white or ivory). It complements most flower colors (pinks, reds, oranges, purple) but does not play well with yellow flowers. Creeping Jenny rarely blooms. Its small, golden flowers are easy to miss against its foliage.

A Groundcover as Container Specimen

When is a groundcover not used as a live mulch? When it is a container plant, of course. Lysmachia congestiflora ‘Walkabout Sunset’ has a beautiful, multi-colored leaf and clusters of bright yellow blooms. Initially the common name, Loosestrife, frightened me away from using this plant because I feared it might be invasive. I’m happy to report that this is not the case.

Several cultivars are available. All are low growing (to six inches) and will spread readily since they root wherever stem touches soil. This spreading habit makes it a great choice for edging in-ground water features. Lysmachia is a semi-evergreen perennial in zones 7b to 9a  In my 7b garden, I find ‘Walkabout Sunset’ sheds most leaves and looks dead by late winter but makes a rapid recovery when spring arrives. It will not tolerate temperatures below 15 degrees, so I take a small cutting in autumn and overwinter it in the greenhouse as added insurance against plant loss.

‘Walkabout Sunset’ performs best in part-sun, with a little shade in the hottest part of the day. It prefers damp to wet soil and is undemanding as to soil pH. I sited a potted specimen in full sun and found that it needed more additional water than I was willing to donate, so I relocated it to the raised portion of a birdbath. This solution kept the plant roots damp and gave birds and insects a place to perch when they visited the water source. Everyone was happy.

‘Walkabout Sunset’ is equally attractive when used as a sole container specimen or as an undercover to a taller plant. The variegated leaves have a blue-green stripe that pairs well with a similarly toned container.

You will note that I did not include the pronunciation above, as I normally do. Here goes: ly-si-MAK-ee-uh kon-jes-tih-FLOR-uh. I have observed that some well-known plant experts pronounce the third syllable with a long A while other make it a short A. I thought it would be easier to stick with the cultivar name, but then I found some plants tagged as ‘Walkabout Sunset’ and others as ‘Outback Sunset’ or ‘Waikiki Sunset.’ Are they the same? I cannot tell. What I can tell is that ‘Persian Chocolate’ has purple-ish foliage. Can’t wait to try it in a container with pink Begonias.

Foliage color mirrors container

Birdbath keeps soil wet