Liriope muscari
| Liriope muscari (Lilyturf) | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Asparagaceae |
| Subfamily: | Nolinoideae |
| Genus: | Liriope |
| Species: | L. muscari |
| Binomial name | |
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Liriope muscari (Decne.) L.H.Bailey |
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Liriope muscari is a species of low, herbaceous flowering plants from East Asia. Common names in English include big blue lilyturf, lilyturf, border grass, and monkey grass. It is a perennial with grass-like evergreen foliage and lilac-purple flowers which produce single-seeded berries on a spike in the fall.
It is an understory plant in China, Japan, and Korea occurring in shady forests at elevations of 330–4,600 ft (101–1,402 m).
It is a tufted, grass-like perennial which typically grows 30–45 cm (12–18 in) tall and features clumps of strap-like, arching, glossy, dark green leaves to ½ inch wide (1.3 cm). Clumps slowly expand by short stolons to a width of about 30 cm (12 in), but plants do not spread aggressively. Roots are fibrous, often with terminal tubers. The small, showy flowers occur on erect spikes with tiered whorls of dense, white to violet-purple flowers rising above the leaves in late summer. Flowers resemble those of grape hyacinth (Muscari), which is the origin of the species name. Flowers develop into blackish berries which often persist into winter. Lilyturf is deer resistant. There is considerable variation in leaf color and size among a number of recognized cultivars.
Distinguishing species in the genus Liriope is difficult at best, and mistaken identity occurs in commercial nurseries. Lilyturf is distinguished from creeping lilyturf (Liriope spicata), the other most common species in the genus, by its fibrous root system (in contrast to the rhizomatous root system of creeping lilyturf), its more prominent flower spike extending above the leaves (creeping lilyturf has a shorter spike more within leaves), and its generally wider and longer leaves when compared to creeping lilyturf.
Landscape uses include borders (along sidewalks, trails, driveways, shrubbery, and trees) and mass plantings as groundcover. Lilyturf can be established on steep slopes where erosion control is needed. Minimal maintenance is required.
Being an easy plant to grow, it is one of the most popular groundcovers in the southeastern United States and areas with a similar climate, and is commonly used in landscaping in temperate climates as border plants and groundcover.
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Wikipedia