Can I Grow a Creeping Jenny in the House?

Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia), or moneywort, is a blooming ground cover that grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 9, depending on the species and cultivar. Creeping Jenny spreads naturally to form a 6- to 12-inch-tall mat when grown outdoors, with lime-green to medium-green leaves and small yellow flowers in spring or summer, depending on the cultivar. It grows especially well indoors in a hanging planter or basket, either alone or mixed with other plants.

Creeping Jenny in Pots

Creeping Jenny in pots make nice houseplants or patio plants. When grown in a container indoors, the plant's stems creep and trail over the edges of its pot, making it suited to planting in a hanging basket or pot. Creeping Jenny in pots also do well in a standing pot kept on a shelf or other support, where its greenery can cascade down to produce the effect of a green, indoor "waterfall.”

Creeping Jenny Care

There are two species normally found in garden centers. The common type, also called moneywort (Lysimachia nummularia), grows outdoors in USDA zones 4 through 9. The other species, sometimes called golden globes (Lysimachia congestiflora) produces yellow cup-shaped flowers and grows in USDA zones 5 through 9.

Both are evergreen plants that become semi-dormant outdoors in winter, when they rest and slow their growth. When growing creeping Jenny as a houseplant, room temperature works well in spring, summer and early fall, but it's important to move the plant to a cool spot during the winter, so the plant gets its needed rest period. Stop fertilizing and reduce watering slightly, but don't let the soil go completely dry.

Light and Moisture

Creeping Jenny is an especially adaptable plant that can grow under most light conditions, from full sun in a south- or west-facing window to partial shade a few feet away from a natural light source. When grown in a low-light area, creeping Jenny's foliage may develop a yellow-green color that blends with its yellow flowers when in bloom.

This plant also tolerates any type of commercial potting soil or you can make your own from 1 part loam, 1 part peat moss and 1 part sand. For best Creeping Jenny care, it thrives in soil that stays lightly moist, but avoid a container without a drainage hole and never let the pot stay in a water-filled saucer.

Problems With Creeping Jenny

Soggy, wet soil can promote fungal problems. While the plant can grow as a submerged aquatic plant, it needs to adapt to those conditions.

When grown outdoors as a perennial, creeping Jenny can be invasive, with stems rooting where they touch soil. A houseplant plant doesn't present this problem, but its trailing stems can become quite long, potentially becoming hard to manage. The best strategy is to prune back stems that wander too far from the container, cutting them with a sharp knife or pruning shears.

Clean the blade between cuts with rubbing alcohol or a 10 percent solution of bleach in water to prevent spread of disease. It's best to trim the plant during late winter, just before the plant is ready to put out new spring growth.

Creeping Jenny Propagation

The best way to propagate creeping Jenny is to press the long stems onto moist soil and allow it to root. You can also divide the rootball when repotting to reduce the size of the plant and produce new plants. Keep the soil moist and well-watered.

To propagate creeping Jenny by seed, collect the seeds from dried seedheads. Plant in soil or in pots. Keep the soil evenly moist while the seeds germinate.