TankBud

Creeping jenny

Lysimachia nummularia

Also known as Lysimachia nummalaria

FreshwaterStemCuttingsSide shoots

Invasive. Creeping jenny is invasive in wetlands across parts of North America. Never release into the wild; dispose of in the trash.

Creeping jenny (Lysimachia nummularia)
Aquarium Plants Factory · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Light
Medium light
CO2
CO₂ beneficial
Temperature
59–79°F
15–26°C
Max height
11.8 in
30 cm
Growth rate
Medium
Placement
Midground
Type
Stem
pH
6.0–7.5
Hardness
4–15 dGH
Spread
3.1 in (8 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Easy
Family
Primulaceae
Origin
Europe and western Asia (introduced and invasive in North America)

Overview

Sold as a stem plant but it naturally creeps, so in the midground it sends up rounded-leaf stems that lean and trail rather than standing straight. It grows well in cooler water and tolerates low light without CO2, though stronger light, CO2 and decent nitrate keep the leaves small and richly coloured (the 'Aurea' form turns yellow-green to gold). Trim and replant tops to propagate; it does best in temperate tanks and can sulk in warm water. Because it is invasive in North American wetlands, never release trimmings outdoors, bin them.

In the wild

Native to damp ground, ditches and stream margins across Europe and into western Asia, where it sprawls as a low creeping groundcover with round paired leaves. It has been widely introduced as a garden plant in North America and has escaped into wetlands, where it is listed as invasive in parts of the US and Canada (including the Great Lakes region).

Good to know

A creeping perennial in the primrose family Primulaceae, related to the loosestrifes (Lysimachia). The species name nummularia means coin-shaped, referring to the round leaves. The golden-leaved cultivar 'Aurea' is the form most often sold for aquariums and paludariums.

Did you know

Did you know it is the same plant gardeners grow as a hardy groundcover? It happily lives fully underwater, in a bog, or as a dry-land creeper, which makes it a favourite for paludariums where a single plant can grow up the hardscape and down into the water.

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