Creeping Jenny is a vigorous, hardy creeper of round coin-like leaves (golden in the popular 'Aurea' form) that thrives in wet conditions, ideal for the moist edges of a terrarium or paludarium.
Light
Bright light keeps it dense, and the golden form needs good light (even some direct sun) to hold its yellow colour. In shade it turns greener and stretches.
Water & humidity
It's a bog and pond-margin plant, so it loves moisture, keep the substrate wet and it will even grow with its stems trailing into water.
In the terrarium
Perfect for the damp foreground of an open terrarium, a paludarium, or the wet edge of any build. It spreads fast as a groundcover and roots along its stems as it goes.
Origin & temperature
Lysimachia nummularia is a temperate European native (naturalised widely elsewhere), growing along damp stream banks and pond margins, which is why it thrives in wet terrarium foregrounds and paludariums.
Temperature: hardy and cool-tolerant, roughly 10–24 °C. Pet safety: non-toxic to cats and dogs.
Propagation
About as easy as it gets: any stem section pressed onto wet substrate roots almost immediately.
Common problems
- Green instead of golden ('Aurea') = too little light; give it a brighter spot.
- Leggy growth = low light; brighten and trim to thicken it up.
Good companions
Creeping Jenny pairs well with plants that want the same conditions, consistently wet, boggy conditions (a bog or paludarium). Here are some species that thrive alongside it:
→ Explore more matches with our Plant Pairing Tool.
Frequently asked questions
Is Creeping Jenny good for a paludarium?
Excellent, it's a moisture-loving pond-margin plant that thrives in wet substrate and even trails into water, making it ideal for paludariums and bog edges.
Does it need high humidity?
It's more about wet roots than humid air, keep the substrate consistently moist and it thrives, tolerating cooler, more open conditions than tropical plants.
Care information is a general guide; conditions vary. Some links on this site are affiliate links that help support Terrarium Creations.