Golden Acre Home & Garden Centre's Plant Library

Other Names:  Moneywort, Creeping Jenny

Description:

A spectacular groundcover choice, vigorous yet not overly aggressive, with deep maroon-purple leaves all season and dense groupings of yellow-gold flowers throughout the summer; a colorful groundcover that is short growing and very floriferous

Ornamental Features

Persian Chocolate Loosestrife is smothered in stunning lightly-scented yellow cup-shaped flowers with gold overtones along the stems from late spring to mid summer. Its attractive oval leaves emerge burgundy in spring, turning deep purple in colour throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Persian Chocolate Loosestrife is a dense spreading annual with a ground-hugging habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. It is a good choice for attracting bees to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Spreading

Persian Chocolate Loosestrife is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Border Edging
• Groundcover
• Container Planting
• Bog Gardens

Planting & Growing

Persian Chocolate Loosestrife will grow to be only 4 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 24 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. Although it's not a true annual, this fast-growing plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It is quite adaptable, prefering to grow in average to wet conditions, and will even tolerate some standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Persian Chocolate Loosestrife is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.