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Moneywort

Moneywort

Lysimachia nummularia

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How common: Common

Invasive alien species

Moneywort is a very low, creeping groundcover with long trailing stems and round, coin‑like leaves. It bears bright yellow, five‑lobed flowers in summer. Native to Europe and western Asia, it often grows in damp places and is widely used in gardens, from where it can spread into the wild.

Did you know?

  • Its name comes from its round leaves that look like little coins.
  • It spreads mainly by stems that root at the joints and often makes few or no seeds.

About the species

Identification

Very low, mat‑forming plant. Stems trail 20–60 cm and often root where they touch the ground; height about 5 cm. Leaves grow in pairs, nearly round or broadly oval, often with a small notch at the base, glossy green. Bright yellow, five‑lobed flowers 2–3 cm across appear singly or in pairs where the leaf meets the stem; the lobes are rounded and may show tiny dark speckles. It rarely forms seed and spreads by creeping stems. Round, coin‑like leaves on long runners set it apart from similar yellow‑flowered plants. Flowers in Finland from July to September.

Plant group

Herbaceous plants

Habitat

herb-rich forest, meadow, yards and roadsides, shore

Flowering

Jul–Sep

About the habitat

Grows in moist to wet ground: ditch and stream edges, pond margins, damp meadows, lawns and open woods. Tolerates sun to shade; flowering is best in sun, leaf growth is lusher in shade. Found across Finland except the far north of Lapland; mainly as a garden escape, especially in the south and southwest.

Sources

Photo: Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lysimachia nummularia kz.jpg

Text: Pinkka: Puutarhakasvitiede 1 - Perennat ja ryhmäkasvit, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.38673

Text: Pinkka: Maatalouslajintuntemus - Brassicaceae, Salicaceae, Ericaceae, Primulaceae, Malvaceae, Saxifragaceae, Crassulaceae, Grossulariaceae, Paeoniaceae ja Hydrangeaceae, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.38673

Text: FinBIF species descriptions, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.38673

Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suikeroalpi

See also