NATURE / OUTDOORS
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Invasive
Plant Species Creeping Jenny
Lysimachia nummularia
Carroll County, MD 6/14/07
Mark Burchick
While performing a wetland delineation today Ben found a colony of a
plant I've never seen before. The vine occurred in the
shade of a forested wetland pool and was prolific.
It keyed to being Lysimachia nummularia, Creeping Jenny or
Moneywort. It is an obligate (OBL) herbaceous perennial,
native to Europe and Asia and potentially invasive. The
plant is found along streambanks, bottoms, ditches and can create
large mats if left unchecked.
The plant seldom flowers
and is called Creeping
Jenny due to its
prostrate, fast growing,
prolific, matting nature
and Moneywort because
the opposite leaves are
shaped like roundish
coins, about the size of
a dime or nickel.
The botanist who gave
the plant it's common
name must have had a bad
relationship with
Jenny.
I'd go with "Jenny is
creeping me out!"
Like mile-a-minute, Japanese stiltgrass and other nuisance,
non-native invasives, this plant may become a big-player in the
years to come. We might as well start adding it to our
wetland nomenclature.
Attached as a
PDF file
is a US Forest Service Invasive Plant Weed Alert on Creeping
Jenny.
Our new intern
Erica, overtops her
boot in the stream.
Invasive
Plant Species
