Liriope – How and Where You Should Grow Liriope

There are about five species of these stemless, grass-like, evergreen members of the Lily family. All are native to Japan, China, and Vietnam. Of these, two are most common in gardens, Liriope muscari and Liriope spicata. They differ slightly in size, habit, flower, hardiness, and tolerance of damp soil.

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.

Liriope Muscari

Liriope muscari (Big Blue Lilyturf), found in China and Japan, forms tufted clumps with thick tubers between 18 and 24 inches tall (45 – 60 cm), that can reach about 18 inches (45 cm) in diameter.

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.

It is rated hardy from USDA zones 5 to 10 and tolerates the intense heat and humidity of southern states, like Florida. If you find plants labeled L. graminifolia var. densiflora or L. Muscari var. densiflora, they are all one and the same.

The photograph I found for you does not really show the quality of the flower spikes, whose resemblance to Muscari (Grape Hyacinth) accounts for this species name.

Typically, the 4 to 5 inch (10 – 12 cm) spikes have ten or more dense whorls made up of clusters of four to seven tiny flowers, each on a little lavender stalk; the entire spike held just above the foliage.

The flower stems are lavender-tinted green, becoming more lavender as they reach the tip. The diminutive six petal bells open from 3/8 inch (0.95 cm) iridescent purple, oval buds; displaying minute lavender stamens tipped with cream-colored pollen.

The flowers, which don’t open simultaneously, close at night, returning to the bud shape. If you pick a stem after dark, you have to really look hard to tell which are buds and which are flowers. Exposed to the light in a room, the flowers will re-open.

Now, these are not outrageously showy flowers, but a mature plant in full bloom is quite attractive. The flowers do make a nice addition to flower arrangements.

Cultivars of Liriope Muscari

There are many cultivars of L. muscari available as well as a variation on the species, L. m. variegata, whose young leaves are yellow-striped, becoming completely green with age. This has dark violet flowers.

Cultivars with variegated foliage that keep the variegation throughout the season include:

• ‘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.

• ‘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.

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

• ‘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.

• ‘Silvery Midget‘ — leaves banded with yellow; 6 inches (15 cm)tall; violet flowers;
• ‘Silvery Sunproof‘ — leaves striped white and yellow, withstand sun better than most variegated forms; 12 – 15 inches (30 – 38 cm) tall, with purple flowers.

You may also run into the following cultivars:

• ‘Majestic‘ (sometimes designated as a species — L. majestica, but this name has no botanical standing and it is a cultivar of L. muscari). This one can often be fasciated, a strange phenomenon, where the stem is flattened with leaves or flowers growing from it. I haven’t seen this in Liriope, so I can only imagine that all the flower stalks are connected together. My only experience with this has been on Digitalis, when the flower stem looks something like a flat stalk of celery, curling at the tip, with leaves and flowers growing out of it at odd intervals. Strange looking, to say the least! I understand fasciation can occur in many plants in a random way and can be caused by a virus or some other gene mutation.  ‘Majestic’ has large, deep lilac flowers and gets 12 to 24 inches (30 – 60 cm) tall.
• ‘Monroe’s White‘ (this is a variation on the species and is also know as L. muscari var. Monroei). This cultivar is only appropriate for zone 8 gardens. Its leaves are more narrow than the species; it has white flowers and gets about 12 inches (30 cm) tall.

Liriope Spicata

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.

Liriope spicata, (Creeping Lilyturf), found in China and Vietnam, is rhizomatous and can be invasive. It makes a better groundcover than border plant, in my opinion. The leaves are narrower than those of L. muscari and can reach 24 inches (60 cm) long while the plant seldom gets taller than 8 to 12 inches.

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.

Cultivars of Liriope Spicata

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 spicata. The flowers are lavender colored spikes, the blooms turn to black fruit.

Rated hardy from USDA zones 4 to 10, L. spicata also tolerates moister soil than L. muscari. I have read that it also tolerates deeper shade, but I can’t see any difference in my plants, who live cheek by jowl in some pretty deep shade!

The flowers are pale violet to almost white and the flower stems are lighter in color than those of L. muscari — at least on my plants.

I’ve only run across one cultivar, ‘Silver Dragon’ which has green and white variegated leaves, lavender flowers and reaches about 12 inches (30 cm) tall. Unfortunately, this plant is only hardy to zone 6.

Propagating Liriope

Both species can be propagated by division in early spring. These plants form massive root systems, which is why they are so good at holding steep banks.

Both develop shiny purple-black berries in the Fall and are very easy to grow from seed. I’ve had excellent germination by planting the seeds as soon as the berries were ripe. It’s been a long time since I did this, and I can’t remember if I took the seeds out of the pulp, but I would think this was the best way to do it.

It seems to me that I kept them inside and they germinated fairly quickly. I would imagine you can plant them outside in a prepared seedbed in a shady location or in pots or flats and leave them all winter. They should germinate the following spring — probably during the winter if you plant them indoors.

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.

Where Can You Grow Liriope

Both species can be grown in sun or shade and tolerate deep shade and dry shade. This is one of the reasons they are so useful for shady gardens. They are very undemanding plants, accepting a wide range of soil conditions.

You do need to go around in early spring and give them a severe haircut. This is much easier done if you remember to do it before they start into growth when you can simply grab a handful of leaves and whack them off at almost ground level.

I have also heard of people just mowing them (be careful to set your mower blades high enough so you don’t damage the crown). If, on the other hand, you procrastinate and let the new growth get well underway, you will learn the meaning of the word tedious as you tease out the old foliage and cut each leaf individually so as not to damage the new leaves. The plants don’t mind if you don’t do this tidying, but the leaves do get pretty ratty over winter.