Liriope - hard to go wrong

Hank and liriopeFrom blogger Judy Aull:

Early mornings my new dog, Hank, and I take a walk through the neighborhood and one particular plant keeps jumping out at me. It seems that every yard has lots and lots of Liriope (spicata). Some gardeners seem to shy away from it because of its invasive behavior but its good qualities seem to outweigh the bad.Early mornings my new dog, Hank, and I take a walk through the neighborhood and one particular plant keeps jumping out at me. It seems that every yard has lots and lots of Liriope (spicata). Some gardeners seem to shy away from it because of its invasive behavior but its good qualities seem to outweigh the bad.

Well, let’s see; it’s elegant, hardy, foolproof and requires very little care. You cannot find a tougher plant than Liriope. It will tolerate any kind of light weather, or soil; just about anything Mother Nature can hand out and then pops back up the next spring as healthy and sprightly as before.

I inherited several rows of Liriope. I loved the look and especially the price, so I began to transplant it. I found lots of places and ways to use it but I found its fountain-like structure perfect as borders along paths and walkways. Not only does it soften the edges of my flowerbeds but also the flow of similar plant material gives a sense of continuity to the entire garden.

Liriope (spicata)Its worst feature is also its best feature; it can cover bare ground very quickly, which is good. But by the same token, it can envelope any plant or object in its path that isn’t bigger and tougher than it is. It spreads by rhizomes or long runners and has been known to burrow under concrete sidewalks and appear on the other side. This invasive characteristic can be controlled to some degree. I discovered the answer to the problem is fairly simple if you have a spade or shovel and don’t mind doing some digging. Every spring or fall I use a sharp bladed shovel to cut the rows in half, lengthwise, removing the excess and discarding it. Sounds labor-intensive but I found it is doable when I take only a few rows at a time. When planted in the shade it doesn’t spread as quickly as it does when planted in the sun.

Some neighbors have Liriope (muscari) and that’s another story. It clumps rather than spreads. Muscari has a stunning variegated variety that is very easy to grow and maintain and can be used in the same manner as Liriope (spicata) but without the crazy spreading-habit. Variegated Muscari’s light foliage brightens up the dark corners of my garden and almost glows when I use it in the sun. It is a toss-up for me as to which variety is my favorite. Guess I will just keep enjoying both of them until I decide.