PlantFiles: Lily Turf, Lilyturf, Monkey Grass
Liriope muscari

For such a low-maintenance plant, you really can't go wrong with liriope. I'm a novice gardener and have had great success with it--it really is goof-proof! I use this plant as a combination ground cover and low-growing ornamental grass. The lavender flower spikes are just a bonus.

Mine does quite well with morning sun and afternoon shade.

Fast to flower. Plants are a bit vigourous, growing through my weed paper. Easy to seperate though.

Enjoy full sun, drought tolerant and require little to no care. Makes shiny black berries after flower, which is in the spring and again in late summer.

I tried planting Liriope here in zone 5b, back in 1998 - even though it was only supposed to be hardy through zone 6. It lived over two very mild winters here with heavy snow cover, but the first really cold winter killed it off.

A cast -iron, no-kill plant that even someone with the blackest thumb will have success with.

Makes a fine border or edging and is happy regardless if it's in the sun or shade.

Transplants with a minimum of shock and spreads like wildfire.

Care should be taken as to where you put this...because once you've got it...it's always with you.

We've had great success with the Big Blue variety here in Zone 5.
We have four big clumps which have overwintered for the last three years for us.
Constant winter snow cover is probably responsible for it's durability here. If uncovered from the snow, it's still lush and green, but once the snow fades and the dry March winds come in, it immediately withers and fades, and looks horrible for about two months. Then it comes out strong again, with it's normal lush appearance. It has bloomed for us every year.
Several landscapers have shown surprise that we grow Liriope in Z5. Most claim that it just can't be done. :-)

I love liriope and use it for borders now. I have it in full sun in NE Georgia. It gets really hot and humid and does great. I want to have my entire front and/or backyard be all liriope. Only have to mow it once a year in February. Drought resistant. Has anyone planted a really large area with nothing but liriope?

Also, how well does it grow from seed?
Do you grow it like fescue?

I have had tremendous success with this plant, love the way it looks, grows and matures.

I recently purchased 10, 3" pots of liriope from WalMart. All were extremely root bound. I had a large area to cover as a border. My plans were to subdivide & space every 6-8". These plants are very forgiving. I cut, yanked & twisted every one of these pots to subdivide. None suffered from shock -- not even one leaf died! Although they were a big mess in the beginning (I had to do a massive clean up). All are very happy!
YardKat, Gillett, TX

Southern Living Garden Book lists ten different varieties of Liriope muscari, which is a clumper, plus two varieties of L. spicata, a spreader, and two more varieties of Mondo grass (Ophiopogon), a smaller version of Liriope. I have seen this plant all of my life--in my Grandparent's yards, my Aunts, Uncles, and Cousin's yards--and in my Parent's various yards over the years. And now in my yards through the years here in the Southeastern US.

I have seen statements that this plant is vastly overused as a border plant, but I think it is the perfect border plant. It can be mowed under, or over in the early Spring, and its attractive, evergreen, gently arching, dark green blades definitely announce the line between the lawn or driveway and the flower border. I personally like the white flowered type because of their greater contrast, especially when the flowers grow low in the plant. Some of the purple-lavender flowers are harder to see against the dark foliage.

I agree that the variegated types are not as vigorous. I personally prefer L. spicata because it readily spreads, and by digging up the little "babies" and transplanting them you can easily create new borders.

In the Fall I have created new borders of L. muscari by picking off all of the dark berries and planting them where I want a border to grow. The following Spring I had many small blades sticking up an inch or two, but this plant is a slow grower, and it will take a few years for a border to really look good from seed. However, it is certainly much cheaper to start a long border from seed than from bought plants.

When I started gardening, I started evicting grass, and I did not understand the point of then cultivating grassy things. It took me some years, but I have gotten past my grass hating, grin. After the move of 30 miles, I inherited many clumps of liriope, and I have found it to be tough, forgiving stuff. I have divided 2' wide clumps but it is an adventure involving shovel and much stomping and pulling apart. The type I have blooms low, and the leaves are more than a foot long so these are at least 18" tall. The ones I have divided do very little pouting before settling in. Undivided clumps can sit on the ground and await attention for a week, during the rainy season. It really is an impressive plant. No wonder we see them everywhere here.

Established easily under my dogwood. Even tolerates abuse by my dog and still looks full and lush. Does better in shade, but will tolerate some sun.

A very tough competitor. I have a large bed under dense maple trees, has thickened over the years. Mow to ground every Feb. before the interplanted daffodils start to emerge. The solid green, fertile variety is the most vigorous competitor, the variegated ones can't compete as well. I grow from seed and divisions.

I love it...It does well in the shade partial shade...and lots of water! DubaiUAE zone 11

Different cultivars have different hardiness zones, some are hardy to zone 4, others to zone 7. Some are variegated, some do not flower.

Low-maintenance, rugged plant often found as edging along beds and borders. In early spring, dead leaves should be pruned back and the plant sidedressed with fertilizer.