Liriope Ground Cover Plants in Flower Bed Borders North and South

The short ground cover Liriope has a grass appearance with flowers that color the landscape in late summer or early fall. Later, the berry type fruit will add interest to the garden hanging around into winter. Unfortunately, Liriope fruit is not useful to attract wildlife.

Liriope grows best in part shade but can be considered for sun or full shade depending on whether the garden is in a cold north climate or a warm southern location. Gardeners will want to know about the two most common species in deciding which one to choose for their planting site.

Big Blue Lilyturf for Southern Gardens

Liriope muscari is commonly called big blue lilyturf. The plants have a fibrous root system that create a clumping habit with wide and long leaves and flower spikes that tower above the foliage.

Liriope muscari is less aggressive and less cold hardy, thriving best in zone 6 and south and is more reliably evergreen longer. There are a variety of Liriope muscari cultivars that will add interest to a garden:

• L. ‘Okina’ is otherwise called frosted monkey grass. It grows 10″ tall; in the spring each leaf is white. As grass blades age, they become dotted with green flecks that will turn all green by fall.

• L. ‘Peedee Ingot’ is golden monkey grass. Liriope ‘Peedee Ingot’ first emerges in spring brighter than the later chartreuse golden foliage. The 1′ tall flower spikes are a lilac-lavender color.

• L. ‘Gold Banded’ is a variegated Liriope with a gold band down the middle of each leaf. The flowers are lavender.

• L.’John Burch,’ another variegated foliage, has crested lavender flowers. The tip of the bloom is said to resemble the cockscomb flower form of Celosia.

• L. ‘Variegata’ is a colored-leaf variety, striped with yellow. Unfortunately the plant will revert to all green the second year. Fruit on this plant develops into black dense clumps.

• L. ‘Majestic’ has bold violet blue flowers that grow larger than blooms on the big blue lilyturf species plant.

A most unusual example for southern gardens is Liriope alba ‘Monroe White’ with white flowers. This cultivar is only appropriate for zone 8 gardens. Gardeners wanting more proven plant ideas for southern gardens will want to read writings by Erica Glasener.

Hardy Creeping Lilyturf for Northern Gardens

Liriope spicata is called creeping lilyturf for its rhizomatous root system. The shorter spiked flowers top the less evergreen but narrower grasses edged with rough cut margins. Creeping lilyturf remains evergreen for a shorter period of time gradually becoming more yellow as winter approaches.

The more aggressive root system aids in quickly filling in a bare patch of garden, however this same characteristic also enables creeping lilyturf to encroach where it is unwanted in other landscapes. The species plant of creeping lilyturf can be counted on in zones 5 – 10, with care in zone 4.

There are few cultivars of Liriope spicata. Liriope spicata ‘Silver Dragon’ has white lengthwise stripes overlaying dark green leaves. Unfortunately, this plant is only hardy to zone 6.

A newer cultivar is Liriope sp. ‘Porcupine’ is of an unknown species. This Liriope is predictably hardy only for gardens in zones 6 – 9. The clumping habit is more characteristic of Liriope muscari but the very narrow stiff leaves resemble Liriope spciata. The flowers are lavender colored spikes, the blooms turn to black fruit.

Liriope spicata, although presumed to withstand colder climates, has far fewer varieties from which to choose. But, gardeners can take heart from garden writer, Larry Hodgson when he states in his 2000 book Perennials for Everyday Purpose, Rodale Organic Living, speaking of Liriope muscari big blue lilyturf, ‚”I grow it with no problems in my zone 3 garden.” Although in his garden books, he admits to being conservative with his zone recommendations because, he feels, good ground covers need to be very hardy to survive.

Plant Care for Liriope Ground Covers

Liriope is a reliable ground cover substitute where lawns cannot grow, bare spots around shady trees or soil erosion needs to be prevented. Although Liriope is not suitable for foot traffic and it is slow to fill in compared with traditional lawn grasses, a mass planting of lilyturf is an attractive ground cover.

Liriope requires moist soil that drains well, part shade for optimal health and, especially while becoming established, a layer of mulch. Liriope does not like alkaline soils. Gardeners mow the leaves in early spring to rejuvenate the plants in preparation for spring growing.

Liriope ground covers works well in part shade locations with flower- bed borders. Also called monkey grass, lilyturf brings added value to garden edging with foliage interest, late summer flowers and bluish black berry fruit in a fall and winter garden.

Readers looking for native ornamental grasses may be interested in ideas for carex grasses with flowers.