Lysimachia ‘Midnight Sun’

Ground cover: so many options. In the sea of greens that appears in the garden and along its pathways, a dark-toned ground cover sets the perfect foundation for everything that will grow above and around it.

Lysimachia, or Moneywort, is a strong ground cover. And Lysimachia ‘Midnight Sun’ has foliage in dark and dramatic purple-flushed green, which is a color mix that gives the overall effect of brown tones—tones that truly ground everything. From late spring through the end of August or so, bright yellow flowers appear above the foliage, contrasting with the dark base.

Purple-Brown Foliage

If you are the type that fools a bit about chocolate irises and brown flowering and foliage plants, that’s understandable: “If I wanted a brown plant, I’d have just let a green plant dry out.” Many of us gardeners wonder if brownish tones could possibly be pretty in the garden. It’s okay to wonder, but here is a fact: They are. They draw the eye toward them, and in the case of a ground cover, downward. And they “ground”, or anchor, an outdoor display of other growing beauties. 

Purple-brown Lysimachia ‘Midnight Sun’ adds a solid, calming under-layer to the garden—a layer that provides a nice cushion to the other plants in the garden bed. 

The Color’s Staying Power

Often, darker brown, purple, and black foliage can turn to pure green if a plant is not located in a spot where light conditions are ideal. Most often, "ideal" means good sunlight. Sunlight brings out and maintains colors. But Lysimachia ‘Midnight Sun’ tends to keep its color in areas with bright and consistent sunlight, and it also keeps its color in partial shade. There is little need to worry. The dark foliage you purchase with a purpose in mind will stay dark. There is typically no need for relocating Lysimachia 'Midnight Sun' to a brighter area, or for trimming, fertilizing… just dig your plants into well-draining soil, and sit back.

Matting Habit

What makes Lysimachia, or the Moneywort, especially appealing is its matting nature. Its leaves stack up over other leaves. This creates an attractive layered look. This is the type of ground cover that can hide unsightly spots very efficiently. Cracked cement retaining wall? See if you can train Lysimachia ‘Midnight Sun’ to cover it. Once it starts spreading, it should do the trick quite elegantly, as there should be few gaps in the foliage.   

If you have long loved chartreuse foliage plants—loved them for the way they "pop" when placed near plants with deeper green tones—then you might want to add to your garden line-up with a darker foliage plant or two. See what those do. Lysimachia ‘Midnight Sun’ is a pretty option due to the density of its foliage and the fact that its flowers are quite petite. But there are plenty of others. And dark foliage need not come in a grounding, close-to-the-soil type of foliage. It can come in the form of an airy fern. For example, the Aubergine Lady Fern is eggplant-dark. Its dark upright growth might be what you prefer. And of course, there are many, many other examples of plants with dark foliage that should not be overlooked.

Now We Know

Next time you are faced with a dried-out plant that has turned brown, take the liberty to fool around, using a line that goes a little like: “It was intentional. I wanted the brown foliage.” But if you get familiar with living, thriving dark foliage plants by getting to know Lysimachia ‘Midnight Sun’, then you are sure to really mean what you say: “I wanted the dark foliage.” You’ll realize that plants with foliage in shades of brown, copper, purple… these are indeed quite gorgeous in the garden.