Creeping-jenny
Lysimachia nummularia
Last reviewed: August 2026
Creeping-jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) is a perennial vine. It blooms in June, July, and August. The flowers draw bees.
Toxicity unknown
Creeping-jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.
Light
part shade
Water
medium
Size
2"–6" H × 12"–24" W
Bloom
Jun, Jul, Aug
Pollinators
bees
Native alternatives to Creeping-jenny
Creeping-jenny is not native to the United States. These natives fill a similar role in a planting, matched on bloom season, bloom color and mature size.
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Creeping jenny is a low-growing groundcover that forms a dense mat of small, rounded bright green leaves. It produces cheerful yellow cup-shaped flowers in summer and spreads readily to fill in areas quickly. This plant works well for covering bare spots or cascading over edges.
Growing Creeping-jenny
Grow Creeping-jenny in part shade and medium water. Mature plants reach 2 to 6 inches tall and spread 12 to 24 inches wide. Expect high maintenance to keep it looking intentional in a front yard.
How to care for Creeping-jenny, by region
How to care for Creeping-jenny where it is actually grown: year-round basics plus what to do each season, region by region, with the sources for each.
Care guidance last updated: September 2026
Piedmont (includes Atlanta, GA)
Year-round
Creeping Jenny is a low, trailing groundcover from Europe and temperate Asia, not native to Georgia, that does well in Atlanta's part-shade beds and containers with steady moisture.
- Plant in part shade and expect a very low, trailing habit, about 2 to 6 inches tall, spreading 1 to 2 feet wide, with medium, even soil moisture.
- This is a Eurasian species, not native to Georgia or anywhere in North America, so treat it as a garden ornamental rather than a native planting choice.
- It is not among the plants Georgia's invasive plant tracking currently flags, based on the state-by-state Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States, though nearby states such as South Carolina, Virginia, and Kentucky do list it as invasive. It still roots wherever a trailing stem touches soil, so give it a defined edge and keep it away from ponds, streams, or other natural water features where it could spread unchecked.
- Bright yellow, cup shaped flowers appear in summer, and the plant is commonly sold as the trailing spiller piece in mixed containers.
- Creeping Jenny is not listed on the ASPCA's toxic plant list, though it also does not appear on their non-toxic list, so there is no official ASPCA read on it either way. A normal amount of caution around pets that chew on garden greenery is reasonable.
Keeping Creeping Jenny inside a clearly edged bed or container reads as an intentional, HOA-friendly planting rather than a patch spreading into the lawn.
Fall
Fall is the season to rein in a full season of spread before Atlanta's first frost, which typically arrives in mid-November.
- Growth slows as days shorten and temperatures cool, making September and October a good time for one more contain-and-trim pass.
- Cut back any trailing stems that rooted outside the bed over summer, since fall is the easiest time to catch and correct this species' habit of rooting wherever it touches soil.
- Reduce watering frequency as temperatures drop and rainfall typically picks up.
- In the Atlanta area, expect the average first fall frost around mid-November, after which top growth slows for the year.
A fall containment trim before frost keeps bed edges crisp through winter, which reads as HOA-friendly upkeep rather than a spreading groundcover left unchecked.
Winter
Atlanta's mild winters, USDA zone 7b to 8a, let Creeping Jenny stay semi-evergreen most years with little care needed.
- This species is rated hardy through zone 8b, so a typical Atlanta winter (7b to 8a) is well within its range, and foliage often stays green or only partly dies back.
- A hard freeze can bronze or knock back some leaves temporarily, but the plant is described as semi-evergreen and generally rebounds with spring growth.
- Watering needs drop to occasional through winter, since the plant grows slowly and rainfall is usually enough on its own.
- Container plantings are more exposed to cold snaps than in-ground beds, so move pots closer to the house or add a layer of mulch during any hard freeze.
Because it stays green through most Atlanta winters, Creeping Jenny keeps a bed looking intentional and HOA-friendly in the off season, as long as its edges stay contained.
Spring
Spring in the Atlanta area, USDA zone 7b to 8a, is when Creeping Jenny puts on its fastest growth of the year.
- Once the last frost passes, typically late March in the Atlanta area, new growth picks up quickly and trailing stems lengthen fast.
- Spring is a good window to divide congested patches or root stem cuttings to fill bare spots, since the plant roots easily anywhere a stem node touches soil.
- Keep soil consistently moist as spring rain tapers off into warmer weeks, especially for container plantings, which dry out faster than in-ground beds.
- Trim back any stems that crept past their bed line over winter so the planting keeps a tidy, defined edge going into the growing season.
A quick spring edge-and-trim keeps this groundcover reading as an intentional, HOA-friendly planting instead of a bed that got away over winter.
Summer
Atlanta's hot, humid summers call for consistent moisture and a little afternoon shade to keep Creeping Jenny from scorching.
- Bright yellow, cup shaped flowers show up through the summer months.
- Afternoon shade helps during Atlanta's peak summer heat, since foliage can bleach or crisp at the edges in full, all-day sun.
- Water more often in summer, especially in containers, since the shallow roots and thin leaves dry out quickly in high heat.
- Make sure containers and beds drain well. Soil that stays soggy through a heat wave can stress the roots and lead to dieback.
Even during peak summer growth, a mid-season trim keeps this fast-spreading groundcover inside its bed line, which is what keeps it looking HOA-friendly rather than unruly.
Sources: NC State Extension, Lysimachia nummularia plant profile, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, NEMESIS species summary for Lysimachia nummularia, Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States, Lysimachia nummularia species page, ASPCA, Cats and Toxic/Non-Toxic Plant List
In an HOA neighborhood
Creeping-jenny takes more care to keep looking intentional in a front yard. Maintenance level: high. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.
Works well in: backyard only.
- Spreads aggressively and can escape into lawns
- May be viewed as invasive groundcover
- Can look sparse or patchy in winter
Wildlife value
The summer flowers attract bees and other small pollinators. The dense mat provides shelter for beneficial insects and small wildlife.
Common questions
- When does Creeping-jenny bloom?
- Lysimachia nummularia blooms from June through August, producing small bright yellow flowers throughout the summer months.
- What pollinators visit Creeping-jenny?
- Bees are the primary pollinators of Lysimachia nummularia, attracted to its yellow summer flowers for nectar and pollen.
- Where is Creeping-jenny native?
- Lysimachia nummularia is native to North Carolina and other southeastern states, where it naturally occurs in moist, partially shaded areas.
- What growing conditions does Creeping-jenny prefer?
- This vine grows best in partial shade to shade with medium to high moisture levels, making it ideal for wet areas where other groundcovers struggle.
- Is Creeping-jenny HOA-friendly?
- Creeping-jenny takes more care to look intentional in a front yard. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.
These answers were drafted with an AI model from this plant's data. Verify care details with a local expert.
Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
If something looks wrong
Common plant problems, and what to check first
These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.
- It is dying right after planting
- Leaves turning yellow
- Wilting even though I watered it
- Brown crispy leaf tips
- Bugs on the plant
Ready to grow Creeping-jenny? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.