Propagate Creeping Jenny - Easy Propagation to Make Many Plants!

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Propagate Creeping Jenny - Capture the Excitement of Making More Plants!

I love propagating plants and I especially love to propagate creeping Jenny because it is so easy!

After years of playing with plants I still get a soul-felt thrill when tiny seedlings pop out of the dirt or when cuttings sprout new roots. Making many plants from one, sharing plants, giving them as gifts and even selling some is a joy I want to share with you!

Easy Propagation Steps
Care and Expectations
Alot of Plants! What to Do?

more...

Creeping Jenny

(Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea')

Ahhh, creeping Jenny. Why propagate creeping Jenny? This plant is one of my favorites because it is so beautiful in container gardening and it is so easy to propagate! It is a GREAT beginner plant and a super fun plant for any gardener! I particularly like the golden leaf variety which is what is pictured in this article. It's proper name is Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea' with 'Aurea' designating it as the golden leaf type rather than green leaf.

This picture is creeping Jenny in a quart container that was raised from tiny cuttings in about 10-12 weeks.

First some basics: Creeping Jenny is described as being hardy to zone 4 and some references say zone 3. In my zone 7 area the plants die back, over-winter well in containers and return with vigorous new life in the Spring. Creeping Jenny likes part shade to full sun and loves to be kept moist. It is hard to overwater this plant! However, once established, it can withstand some dryness but it may not grow as quickly.

Uses of Creeping Jenny

Creeping Jenny is commonly used as a ground cover near ponds and river banks but beware that it is known to become invasive in certain situations. My favorite use is in containers and that is where my experience lies. This picture shows creeping Jenny just starting to come back out this spring in one of my perennial containers. Soon it's trailing habit will be in full glory as it cascades down the planter. It is beautiful when planted next to purple and green plants.

Propagate Creeping Jenny

I own the book, Making More Plants, by Ken Druse. There are several other highly recommended propagation books available (see list below). However, I can personally recommend Making More Plants as a great reference for many different propagation techniques as well as being a beautifully illustrated book.

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OKAY - Lets get started propagating creeping Jenny! First you have to have a plant from which to propagate! This variety of creeping Jenny can often be found at local nurseries and occasionally at the "box" stores like Lowe's, Home Depot, etc. You may also be able to obtain it through Ebay (see Ebay links below).

Creeping Jenny can be propagated by division or cuttings. Division certainly works well but if you want to make a lot of plants in a short amount of time then cuttings are the way to go. A cutting will generally send out roots from the leaf nodes. A node is the "bumpy" area on the stem where the leaf attaches. You can see in the above picture where creeping Jenny will even send out a root here-and-there without being in the dirt. This plant wants to propagate! You do not have to have roots coming out of the nodes in order to propagate this - it's just an indication of how easy it is to get roots to grow from the nodes!

Easy Propagation Steps

1) To take a cutting you will need about 3-4 nodes per cutting. Start with a sharp pair of scissors/snips. My current favorite is my old and trusted Fiskars Softtouch Micro-Tip Pruning Snip. They stay sharp, are small and comfortable and have nice pointy tips. Whatever you use, the cuts should be clean and sharp leaving the stem uncrushed.

2) Cut the leaves off the bottom two nodes and leave the leaves on the top 1-2 nodes. "Bottom" and "top" are described as the direction of growth. The "bottom" nodes are closer to the soil of the original plant and the "top" nodes are closer to the new growth. This is important when sticking a cutting.

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3) Make a hole in the soil. I use my closed scissors to poke a hole in the soil. Stick the leafless nodes into the soil and press the soil back around the nodes so they will contact the dirt and get the moisture and nutrients they need.

I usually use a "flat" full of potting soil. Any lightweight soiless potting mix will work for these plants - not so with others, but creeping Jenny is not too picky.

Care and Expectations

Keep your little cuttings moist and in warm, light conditions. A bright/sunny indoor window or a hobby greenhouse with a little shade cloth or a part shade porch in the spring/summer will all work well. Remember - keep them moist, creeping Jenny loves moisture and especially at this stage of growth!

In a few weeks your cuttings will take off like the ones pictured. For filling in a pot fast you can plant about four of these in a pint or even a quart pot and in a couple months you will have many plants looking like the picture in the introduction (quart container)!

Now you have to decide what to do with all these plants!

Alot of Plants! What to Do?

Once you've filled your friends, family and neighbors yards with your propagated creeping Jenny you may want to consider selling some at your local flea market.

I have had success selling plants for fun and a little profit at the flea market. It won't make you rich but it will pay for your hobby and give you a little spending money on the side! Also, if you enjoy interacting with people or just people-watching, you will enjoy the experience!

Whatever you decide, I sure hope you get as much fun out of plant propagation as I do and I wish you all the luck of the green thumb!