Creeping Lilyturf

(Liliaceae - Lily Family)

Form

• medium-sized, herbaceous evergreen perennial groundcover (sometimes considered as a miniature evergreen ornamental grass-like plant)
• maturing at 1' tall and slowly but progressively spreading at its perimeter via underground rhizomes
• arching mat growth habit, forming a very dense turf-like groundcover
• slow growth rate of spread at its perimeter

Culture

• partial sun to full shade
• performs best in moist, fertile soils in partial shade, but will tolerate very dry, poor, and thin soils in sunny or shady sites
• propagated primarily by division of the many adjoining crown segments
• Lily Family, with virtually no disease or pest problems
• moderate availability in containers or flats
• mow the old semi-evergreen foliage to the ground in late Winter or very early Spring to allow vigorous new growth to emerge unimpeded from the crowns

Foliage

• linear dark evergreen "blades" of foliage (whose ends will eventually bleach-out or "burn" during the coldest portions of most Winters)
• leaves are 0.25" wide and 1-1.5' long, but due to their arching habit are about 1' high in Summer, and become increasingly prostrate with repeated snowloads during Winter
• foliage resembles very vigorous turfgrass, hence the common name

Flowers

• white, violet, or lavendar inflorescences, on 10" stalks during July and August, sparsely borne and often unnoticed within the attractive dark-green foliage, and not ornamentally significant

Fruits

• sparsely borne black round fruits mature in September and October and persist throughout the Winter, being held on upright stalks, yet inconspicuous amongst the dense dark green foliage

Twigs

• not applicable

Trunk

• not applicable

ID Summary

• linear blades of relatively thin, evergreen, turf-like foliage form a very dense mat of solid groundcover that is topped by sparse and ornamentally insignificant flowers in mid-Summer

USAGE

Function

• dense evergreen groundcover for either shady sites or erosion control sites, usually found as either a solid mass planting or as an edger
• special usages for Creeping Lilyturf include its placement around the bases of mature trees (in spite of surface roots and thin soil near the trunk), in a backyard woodland (as an evergreen edger to define a walking path, including Winter under conditions of light snowfall), and in a small neglected foundation area (where it will choke out weeds and tolerate dry soil)

Texture

• fine texture
• thick density

Assets

• fine-textured evergreen foliage that resembles turfgrass
• fallen leaves can be easily raked free from its linear foliage in Autumn, unlike most groundcovers where leaf litter becomes entangled
• readily transitions from partial sun to full shade within the same planted area, with little change in color, vigor, density, height, and overall appearance
• tolerant of dry soils, thin soils, and compacted clay soils
• good for erosion control on embankments, although establishment is initially slow

Liabilities

• slowly invasive peripheral rhizomes
• slow growth rate and establishment
• flowering is subtle and very poor as compared to Liriope muscari

Habitat

• zones 4 to 10
• native to China and Japan

SELECTIONS

Alternates

• evergreen to semi-evergreen groundcovers (Euonymus fortunei 'Colorata', Hedera helix, Pachysandra species, Vinca minor, etc.)
• groundcovers that flower in mid- to late summer (Liriope muscari)
• short ornamental grasses (or grass-like plants), especially those that tolerate some degree of shade (Acorus gramineus 'Variegatus', Carex species, Glyceria maxima 'Variegata', Luzula species, etc.)

Variants

• the species form of Liriope spicata is the only choice available, but the much more common species Liriope muscari (Blue Lilyturf), a slightly less cold hardy form having a clump growth habit with wider and much more showy foliage, has several cultivars noted for leaf variegation and/or prominent flowering

NOTES

Translation

• Liriope is named after the Greek nymph who was the mother of Narcissus.
• spicata translates as "with flowers in spikes".

Purpose

• Creeping Lilyturf is an evergreen groundcover that is ideal for shady sites and resembles turfgrass.

Summary

• Liriope spicata is a perennial mat-forming groundcover that is best used in shady areas, erosion-prone sites, or areas with thin soils, that has sparse inflorescences in mid-Summer nestled within the evergreen, turf-like foliage.