Creeping Jenny is an herbaceous, semi-evergreen perennial in the Primulaceae (primrose) family native to Europe and temperate Asia. It was introduced in North America as an ornamental ground cover, then naturalized. Genus name honors King Lysimachus (661-281 B.C.), Macedonian King of Thrace and is derived from lysimacheios which was the ancient Greek name of a plant in this grouping. The Latin specific epithet nummularia means "like a coin", referring to the shape of the leaves. Only a few inches in height, stems branch out and readily root where leaf nodes contact soil, forming a broad mat. It also spreads via a slender rhizome. It prefers moist areas such as wet meadows, seeps, swamps, banks of streams and ponds, roadsides, and ditches but also tolerates drier conditions. In some areas, it is considered an invasive weed and ecological threat, as its vigorous growth competes with native species. Bright yellow cup-shaped flowers appear during summer along the stems and the leaves are rounded and slightly ruffled. Creeping Jenny can be used in containers, hanging baskets, or as a ground cover only where its invasive spread is not a concern. It is not a good choice for borders or near lawns as it spreads too aggressively and is difficult to control. See native alternatives to the left. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Weedy. Susceptible to rust and leaf spots
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)