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

Creeping jenny is an easy midground plant that is sold as a stem plant but naturally creeps.

Did you know

Creeping jenny is the same plant gardeners grow as a hardy groundcover. It lives fully underwater, in a bog or as a dry-land creeper. That makes it a favorite for paludariums, where one plant can grow up the hardscape and down into the water.

Caring for creeping jenny

Plant creeping jenny one stem at a time in the midground. Expect its rounded-leaf stems to lean and trail rather than stand straight. It feeds through both roots and leaves, so root tabs and a liquid fertilizer both help.

It wants medium light and grows without CO2. Stronger light, CO2 and decent nitrate keep the leaves small and richly colored.

It grows well in cooler water, between 59 and 79°F (15 to 26°C), and does best in temperate tanks. In warm water it can sulk. It grows at a moderate pace, and you can trim and replant the tops to propagate it.

Because it is invasive in North American wetlands, never release trimmings outdoors. Put them in the trash instead.

Good to know

Creeping jenny is a creeping perennial in the primrose family, Primulaceae, related to the loosestrifes. The species name nummularia means coin-shaped, after its round leaves. The golden-leaved cultivar 'Aurea', which turns yellow-green to gold, is the form most often sold for aquariums and paludariums.

In the wild

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

Common questions

Does creeping jenny need to be planted in the substrate?

Yes. Strip the leaves from the lower part of each stem, then push the stems into the substrate one at a time, a little apart.

Does creeping jenny need CO2?

No, but it helps. Creeping jenny can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.

How much light does creeping jenny need?

Creeping jenny wants medium light. A light sold for planted tanks covers it.

Does creeping jenny need root tabs?

They help. Creeping jenny takes nutrients through both its roots and its leaves. Root tabs near its roots and a liquid fertilizer cover both.

How do you propagate creeping jenny?

Creeping jenny propagates by cuttings and side shoots. Cut off the top of a stem and replant it, and the stump left behind grows new shoots. Cut a side shoot off once it has a few leaves and plant it on its own.

How tall does creeping jenny grow?

Creeping jenny grows to about 11.8 in (30 cm) tall. It grows at a moderate pace.

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