Lysimachia christinaeChinese Loosestrife

A low, fast creeper from central and southern China, Lysimachia christinae runs flat across the ground on slender trailing stems set with rounded, light green paired leaves, rooting as it goes. Small yellow star flowers open in the leaf axils from late spring through summer.

It closes ground quickly in moist, part-shaded positions and spills well over the edge of a raised bed or planter, which is where most schemes use it.

Specifications

• Height0.1 to 0.2 metres
• Width0.5 to 1.0 metres, spreading by rooting stems
• Native toCentral and southern China
• FoliageRounded to heart-shaped light green leaves in opposite pairs along trailing stems; herbaceous to semi-evergreen
• Growth rateFast

Conditions

• SoilPrefers moist, humus-rich, free-draining soils
• LightPartial shade, or full sun where moisture is reliable
• WaterModerate to high; will not tolerate drying out
• ClimateThrives in temperate and humid subtropical regions

Additional Features

• FlowersSmall yellow star-shaped flowers in the leaf axils from late spring into summer
• UsesMoist groundcover, planter and wall spill, pond and stream margins, and shaded infill
• SpacingPlant 0.3 to 0.4 metres apart; the rooting stems close the gaps within a season
• Low MaintenanceTrim back where it runs beyond its intended area; no other attention needed
• Pest ResistanceGenerally untroubled where drainage and airflow are adequate
• Cultural SignificanceKnown as jin qian cao and long used in traditional Chinese herbal medicine
• Erosion ControlRooting stems bind the surface of moist banks and margins

Chinese Loosestrife is the fast-closing groundcover for moist, shaded and marginal positions.