5 Best Golden Moneywort Plant | Trailing Gold

Check Price on Amazon

This is the genuine article — Lysimachia nummularia, the true creeping Jenny that has been a staple of North American groundcover gardens for decades. It ships as a fully rooted quart, meaning you get a plant that is already large enough to cover a 12-inch square patch within two weeks of planting. The green leaves are accented by small yellow flowers in May, giving it a two-season visual interest that monochromatic groundcovers lack.

The hardiness range of zones 3-8 is the widest of any option here. It survives Wisconsin winters and South Carolina summers equally well as long as the soil stays moderately moist. Each stem nodes every inch or so, which means it roots quickly into bare soil and competes effectively against annual weeds. The 3-4 inch height keeps it low enough to walk on occasionally without damage.

Be aware that Perennial Farm Marketplace cannot ship to several western states due to agricultural regulations — AK, AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, and HI are excluded. If you live in those regions, you will need to source a locally grown alternative. Also, orders shipped between November and March arrive dormant, which is normal but may be surprising if you expect active green growth.

Check Price on Amazon

Chalily’s variant is specifically bred for water gardens. While standard creeping Jenny tolerates moist soil, this cultivar can sit with its roots submerged on a pond shelf or in a bog filter. It actively filters koi and goldfish waste by absorbing excess nitrates through its root system, making it a functional plant rather than a purely decorative one.

The golden chartreuse foliage is brighter than the species type when grown in full sun, which is exactly what a pond surface receives. Each mature stem can trail 12 to 18 inches over the water, creating a soft edge that hides the plastic rim of a pond liner. The plant is also shallow-water tolerant — it can grow in as little as 2 inches of water above the root crown.

This is not a plant for dry garden beds. If you put it in standard soil and water it like a normal perennial, it will struggle and may die back. It needs consistently saturated conditions to reach its full spread. It is also less cold-hardy than the species type, so northern pond owners should plan to overwinter it in a frost-free basement or treat it as an annual.

Check Price on Amazon

This two-pack delivers twice the coverage area of a single quart at roughly the same price point as one Perennial Farm Marketplace plant. Each plant arrives in a 1-pint pot that is 6 inches tall by 4 inches wide — slightly smaller than a quart but enough to begin spreading within 3 weeks of planting. For a gardener covering a large border or a rock wall, two plants planted 18 inches apart will merge into a continuous mat by mid-summer.

The trailing habit makes this pack ideal for container gardening. One plant per 10-inch pot will spill 8 to 10 inches over the rim by August, creating a waterfall effect that hides the pot edge completely. The chartreuse color pairs well with purple-leaved heuchera or dark coleus in mixed planters.

The downside is that the seller provides minimal care documentation — you receive the plants with basic instructions that may not cover dormancy handling or winter storage. Some buyers have reported that the soil in the pint pots dries out quickly in transit, so unpack and water immediately upon arrival. The smaller root mass also means it takes an extra week to establish compared to the quart-sized competitor.

Check Price on Amazon

If you are shopping for a golden moneywort to grow indoors, this Pothos is the closest match in appearance and care style. The heart-shaped leaves display the same golden-green variegation that makes creeping Jenny desirable, but Pothos is tropical and will thrive in a 70°F living room with no special humidity setup. It handles low light better than any true Lysimachia — it will survive in a north-facing window that gets less than 200 foot-candles.

The vining habit means it can be trained up a moss pole or left to trail from a hanging basket. Leaf size maxes out around 4 inches indoors, smaller than what outdoor creeping Jenny produces, but the dense growth habit compensates by filling the pot crown quickly. It is also one of the easiest houseplants to propagate — a single node placed in water will root in 10 days.

This is not a groundcover. It will not survive freezing temperatures or outdoor direct sun. If you want a plant that transitions between indoor and outdoor spaces, the Lysimachia options above are better choices. The Pothos also does not flower indoors, so you lose the yellow bloom display that true moneywort provides in May.

Check Price on Amazon

This second Pothos entry comes in the same 4-inch nursery pot format but is sold by a different supplier. The plant itself is functionally identical to the PLANTERS version — golden-variegated Epipremnum aureum that trails naturally from a hanging basket or shelf. The key difference is that this seller ships in a standard green grower pot with no decorative cache pot, which keeps the cost lower for bulk buyers or those who already own their own planters.

The trailing stems can reach 6 feet or more indoors under bright indirect light. Each leaf node is capable of producing aerial roots that absorb moisture from the air, making this plant more forgiving of missed watering than the true Lysimachia species. If you forget to water for a week, the leaves will droop but bounce back within hours of rehydration.

The downside is the same as the previous Pothos: it is a tropical houseplant, not a true outdoor groundcover. The “golden moneywort” label here is a marketing association, not a botanical match. Buyers expecting a plant that can go into a garden bed will be disappointed when the first autumn frost turns the foliage black.