Tinker’s Penny: A Charming Native Ground Cover for Your Wet Garden Spots
If you’ve been struggling with those persistently soggy areas in your garden, meet your new best friend: tinker’s penny (Hypericum anagalloides). This delightful little native plant thrives exactly where many other plants throw in the towel – in consistently wet, even waterlogged conditions.
What Makes Tinker’s Penny Special?
Tinker’s penny is a low-growing forb that forms attractive mats across the landscape. Unlike woody shrubs or trees, this herbaceous plant stays soft and green, creating a carpet-like effect that’s both functional and beautiful. It can behave as either an annual or perennial depending on growing conditions, giving it flexibility in various garden situations.
The plant produces cheerful yellow flowers during early summer that, while small, create a lovely bright display against the green foliage. Its prostrate, spreading growth habit means it stays low to the ground – typically reaching only about 0.8 feet tall – making it perfect for areas where you want coverage without height.
Where Tinker’s Penny Calls Home
This native gem naturally occurs across western North America, growing in British Columbia, Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. It’s truly a native success story, adapted to the diverse climates and conditions found throughout these regions.
The Perfect Wetland Warrior
Here’s where tinker’s penny really shines: it’s classified as an obligate wetland plant, meaning it almost always occurs in wetlands. This makes it absolutely perfect for:
- Rain gardens and bioswales
- Pond and stream margins
- Bog gardens
- Areas with poor drainage
- Wetland restoration projects
- Low-lying spots that stay consistently moist
If you have an area where water tends to collect or where the soil stays soggy long after rain, tinker’s penny will be thriving while other plants struggle.
Growing Conditions: Wet and Happy
Tinker’s penny has some very specific preferences, but once you understand them, it’s quite easy to grow:
Moisture: This plant has high moisture needs and absolutely no drought tolerance. Think of it as nature’s way of saying the wetter, the better.
Soil: It adapts well to fine and medium-textured soils but doesn’t love coarse, sandy conditions. The soil pH should range between 6.0 and 8.0.
Light: Tinker’s penny tolerates intermediate shade, making it versatile for areas that aren’t in full sun all day.
Climate: It grows well in USDA hardiness zones 4-9 and needs at least 65 frost-free days. Annual precipitation should range between 16-45 inches.
Planting and Care Tips
The good news is that tinker’s penny is quite straightforward to establish:
Starting from seed: Seeds are readily available and the plant propagates easily this way. The plant produces abundant seeds during summer, though they don’t persist long in the environment.
Planting density: Plan for about 1,200-1,700 plants per acre for establishment projects.
Spread and growth: This plant has a rapid growth rate and spreads moderately through stolons (runners). It’s not aggressive, but it will fill in an area nicely over time.
Maintenance: Once established, tinker’s penny requires minimal care beyond ensuring consistent moisture. It has a relatively short lifespan but readily self-seeds in suitable conditions.
Wildlife and Pollinator Benefits
The bright yellow flowers attract various small pollinators, including bees and flies, during the early summer blooming period. While the flowers are small, they’re produced in good numbers and provide nectar sources during their bloom time.
Is Tinker’s Penny Right for Your Garden?
Tinker’s penny is an excellent choice if you:
- Have consistently wet or soggy areas in your landscape
- Want to support native plant communities
- Need erosion control near water features
- Are creating rain gardens or bioswales
- Want low-maintenance ground cover for problem wet spots
However, this plant might not be the best choice if you have well-drained soils or areas that dry out between waterings. Its high moisture requirements mean it simply won’t survive in typical garden beds with average watering schedules.
For gardeners looking to embrace native plants and work with their landscape’s natural water patterns rather than against them, tinker’s penny offers a charming, practical solution that turns problem wet spots into thriving, beautiful garden features.
