Liriope. Courtesy of Pixabay
Liriope is a great groundcover in almost any landscape situation.
Liriope is one of the best evergreen perennial groundcovers. They form mounds of dense grasslike foliage. Sometimes known as lilyturf, the foliage comes in solid green or variegated and the different species have lavender, purple or white flowers on spikes in the summer followed by blue-black-berry-like fruit.
There are two species of liriope which have very different growth habits. It is absolutely essential you choose the right species for your site.
Variegated Muscari Liriope
Liriope muscari (The Well-Behaved Kind)
This species is the ‘clumping’ kind rather than a creeping kind and stays where you put it. It’s happy in the border of a flower bed or as an edger and won’t take over the entire area plus your lawn. This species also comes in a variegated variety which brightens up a shady spot. The one down side to Liriope muscari is that you’ll have to buy many more of them to accomplish the same coverage you’d get quickly and cheaply with Liriope spicata.
Liriope spicata ((Spreads Indefinitely)
Watch out! Lirope spicata spreads very aggressively and makes for an excellent groundcover and can be used to retain soil on slopes and banks. Just make sure you use it in a contained area since it will continue to spread and smother everything in its path.
This plant is very ‘invasive’ in the wrong location. But if you need a groundcover for a large area, this plant will fill in quickly.
Maintenance
Liriope is very tough. It will grow in deep shade or full sun. It can endure heat and drought. But it does not like ‘wet feet’; it prefers well-drained soil. Flowers are produced more freely in a sunny location.
Space the plants about 1 foot apart when planting and as the plants mature, they can be dug and separated. Sheer back (set lawn mower at the highest possible cutting height) in late winter before growth starts.
Need help planting a large area? Call Whitehouse Landscaping at 484-300-4290 and we’ll be happy to help.