How To Grow Liriope / RHS Gardening

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Growing guide

How to grow liriope

Liriope comes in to its own in the early autumn when it produces flower spikes with small, long-lasting purple or white flowers. It is an undemanding, evergreen perennial with grass-like leaves for the front of dry, shady borders.

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Quick facts

Tough, hardy perennial
Evergreen leaves for all year round interest
Purple or white autumn flowers
Good for ground cover
Easy to grow in dappled shade
Needs some sun to flower well
Suitable for most soils, including dryer spots
Rabbits do not eat this plant

All you need to know

Before you get started

Liriopes are hardy

Perennials are plants that live for multiple years. They come in all shapes and sizes and fill our gardens with colourful flowers and ornamental foliage. Many are hardy and can survive outdoors all year round, while less hardy types need protection over winter. The term herbaceous perennial is used to describe long-lived plants without a permanent woody structure (they die back to ground level each autumn), distinguishing them from trees, shrubs and sub-shrubs.

perennials ideal for shady borders. They are grown for their evergreen foliage and flowers, which appear in late summer to autumn. When choosing one to grow, the main difference between the cultivars is the flower colour and foliage markings such as white or yellow stripes.

Flowers and foliage

The tiny purple or white bell-shaped flowers appear on stalks like drumsticks in early autumn. These provide a welcome splash of late colour in borders.

Although leaves are usually plain green, there are cultivars with yellow or white stripes on leaves such as Liriope muscari ‘John Burch. The new leaves of Liriope muscari ‘Okina’ emerge almost pure white in spring before maturing to green.

The most widely grown is the plain green leaved Liriope muscari. It forms dense clumps with grass-like leaves, reaching 25-45cm (10-18in) in height. The less well known Liriope spicata has a more spreading habit making it good choice for a dense ground cover in shadier spots.

Liriope by flower and leaf colour

Buying Liriope

If you are looking around garden centres when they start to flower in late summer, you will find Liriope muscari widely offered for sale as starter plants in 7.5-10cm (3-4in) pots or as larger plants in one to two litre containers.

For planting at other times of year, or if you fancy less common cultivars, you may need to buy plants from mail order suppliers or specialist nurseries.

Specialist nursery Barracott Plants National Collection holder Use the RHS Find a Plant tool to find stockists nearby or mail order suppliers.

Planting

When to plant Liriope

Container-grown plants can be planted any time of years as long as the soil is not frozen or waterlogged, although the best time to plant is in spring or early autumn. If planting during the summer moths, water new plantings well during dry spells to ensure good establishment..

Plant in partial shade where the liriopes will get some sun for part of the day. This will encourage good flowering. When planted in deeper shade, liriopes will be shy to flower. Alternatively plant in a sunnier spot if the soil does not dry out for weeks in summer or it can be watered.

How to plant Liriope

Water the pot well before planting
Make the planting hole as deep as the rootball and two to three times wider
Plant so the surface of the compost in the pot should be level with the surrounding soil
Leave 30-45cm (1ft-18in) between individual plants
Firm in well the soil around the rootball and water in to settle soil around the roots

Perennials: planting

Perennials: plantingOngoing care

Routine care of Liriope

Water newly planted liriopes during the first year in dry spells help them establish well
Mature clumps seldom need regular watering, apart from when the summer is very dry or if the plants are growing in full sun
Apply a general fertiliser in spring to boost growth if the plants seem to be struggling
The poor performance may be caused by excessive dryness of the soil and mulching with organic matter such as garden compost or a manure-based soil conditioner and watering may help more than feeding

Top tip

Liriope need sunshine for a part of the day to flower well.

Pruning and training

Pruning Liriope

Liriope muscari – remove old dead and damaged leaves in spring by hand. After few years the leaves can look untidy and you can rejuvenate the plants by cutting them hard back in spring.

Liriope spicata – the finer foliage is often damaged by the winter weather, so the plants often benefit from annual sheering of the leaves in spring.

Deadheading

Do not remove flower spikes after flowering as the bell-shaped flowers are followed by dark purple berries. Prune the old flower spikes out when tidying up the clumps in spring.

Propagating

Division

Easily propagated by dividing the plants in spring. Do not be alarmed by the white 'lumps' you will find on the roots. Liriopes have fibrous roots with scattered tubers growing on them.

Perennials: dividing

From seed

If you want a bit of challenge, you can try sowing seed extracted from the berries in trays or containers in spring and maintain a temperature of 10°C (50°F). Bear in mind that cultivars are unlikely to come true from seed, so these are best divided.

Problems

Liriopes are usually not troubled by pests and diseases.

Poor growth and flowering

Dryness of the soil can result in poor growth. Try mulching with organic matter such as garden compost or a manure-based soil conditioner and water during dry spells. If growing sunny spot, consider moving the plants to light shade. If grown in deep shade Liriope produce very few or no flowers. Try pruning back overhanging branches to allow more sunshine to reach the plants or move to a spot where they get sunshine for a part of the day.

While we think all this information will be helpful to you, we always recommend to read the instruction labels on your plants.

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Everything you need to know about choosing the right liriope for you.

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How To Grow Liriope / RHS Gardening

Quick facts

All you need to know

Flowers and foliage

Buying Liriope

When to plant Liriope

How to plant Liriope

Routine care of Liriope

Top tip

Pruning Liriope

Deadheading

Division

From seed

Poor growth and flowering

Discover liriopes

Get involved

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