Here’s a ground cover that says goodbye to summer with lavender flower spikes. Easy care Liriope spicata lets you know it’s been holding ground all season.
Outside in the hot, humid end-of-summer afternoon, a muggy blanket of air covers me. Uncomfortable sweatiness is the result.
I have to water some annuals that are very thirsty, otherwise I would not be out in this open air sauna.
Humidity alone doesn’t keep Midwest plants alive. Despite the high level of moisture in the air, the roots below ground need water.
I walk the hose around a tall purple leaf sand cherry. The shrub gives dappled shade to a grassy-like ground cover that grows underneath.
In the middle of the ground cover’s strappy leaves, pale with no scent, but standing up straight to get my attention is a small lavender cluster of buds on a green stem. Just one.
Scattered among the deep green/white stripes of other grassy leaves, I discover a couple of other bud clusters standing up alone.
Nice surprise! Little flowers divert me from my watering task. While I’m trying to keep a few annuals alive to hang on into fall, the time is right for these little blooms to shine.
Even though I’m sweating from humidity without too much physical effort, they make me glad I came outside!
Liriope Spicata, sometimes called creeping lily turf, is an evergreen perennial ground cover that’s spread is just right. It’s not too dense and it’s not too sparse.
The green and white stripes on it’s leaves light up the partly shady area it’s planted in. At night it reflects the back door light and also moonglow.
So easy to grow and maintain too. A few were planted in staggered rows to cover the ground below two shrubs of purple leaf sand cherry.
It only took a year for them to sprout more plants to fill in the area. Because they are a little sparse in growth, that is, there’s space between plants, weeds sometimes pop up.
This Liriope is a part time weed deterrent. Pulling starter weeds every few weeks isn’t so bad. Liriope spicata makes my list of good ground covers.
Features
Native to: Asia.
Name refers to: In Greek mythology, Liriope is the mother of Narcissus.
Zones: 4-10
Leaves: Green and white stripes on long thin straps remind you of the green and white leaves of the spider plant that grows indoors in winter.
It is a member of the asparagus family and is not turf grass. In some places where it is hard to grow turf, it is used as a substitute.
Blooms: Lavender clusters at the top of the stem. The cluster of buds unfold into tiny daisy like flowers. The flowers each have five or six lavender petals with a yellow center.
Flowers have little to no fragrance.
Bloom time is August to September.
Fruits: Clusters of flowers yield pale green berries. Humans cannot eat these berries. Leave them for the birds.
Height: 9 inches to 1.5 feet.
Spread: 1.5 feet.
Grows from rhizomes.
Rabbit and deer resistant.
Other varieties of Liriope: Muscari’s leaves are blue green and Muscari Variegata leaves have green and yellow stripes.
Care
- Sunlight: Full Sun to Part Shade. The amount of sunlight it gets affects the ratio of green to white color in the leaves.
- Soil: Average but well drained. Tolerates soil that is on the dry side. Good for dry shady areas.
- Water: Medium.
- Fertilize: Once a year with compost.
Problems/Pests
It has no serious pests. Too much water can cause root rot, leaf or crown rot.
Considered invasive in some parts of the country where growing conditions are optimal.
See References below for link to Invasive Plants site to see if this plant is a problem for your area.
Uses
Grown as ground cover due to spreading by rhizomes. Often used in areas where it is difficult to grow other plants because Liriope spicata is tolerant of drought and soil erosion.
References
Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States
North Carolina State Extension
Copyright Juli Seyfried 2019
