So many varieties of Liriope exist today, many of them being welcomed into home landscapes with open arms, and not without reason!
Liriope, or monkey grass as it’s sometimes known, is a low-growing flowering grass that is often used as a pathway border or landscape filler. The flowering stalks will most often bloom lavender or white, depending on the cultivar. It is excellent for erosion control, and won’t complain if uprooted and transplanted somewhere else, whether in full sun or deep shade.
Because of it’s tendency to spread out as it grows, it’s important to keep liriope trimmed and tamed as much as possible as it grows. If left unattended, it will quickly smother anything that is not substantially larger than itself.
Liriope sends out runners that help graft it into the landscape and knit it together into a tight bunch, which can be a good thing, or a nasty problem as well. Watch out for runners that creep under pavement and pop up in cracks, or on the other side of the slab.
Liriope definitely has it’s virtues, but not without it’s potential problems, so keep an eye out for these cultivars in your own landscaping.