General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Grass/Grass-like
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Full Sun to Partial Shade
Partial or Dappled Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Dry Mesic
Dry
Soil pH Preferences: Slightly acid (6.1 – 6.5)
Neutral (6.6 – 7.3)
Slightly alkaline (7.4 – 7.8)
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 6a -23.3 °C (-10 °F) to -20.6 °C (-5 °F)
Maximum recommended zone: Zone 10b
Plant Height: 18 inches
Plant Spread: 18 inches
Leaves: Evergreen
Fruit: Showy
Edible to birds
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: Lavender
White
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Summer
Late summer or early fall
Underground structures: Rhizome
Uses: Erosion control
Groundcover
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Butterflies
Resistances: Humidity tolerant
Drought tolerant
Propagation: Other methods: Division
Offsets
Containers: Suitable in 1 gallon
Suitable in 3 gallon or larger
Needs excellent drainage in pots

Image
Common names
  • Monkey Grass
  • Lily Turf
  • Lilyturf
Botanical names
  • Accepted: Liriope muscari
  • Synonym: Liriope platyphylla
  • Synonym: Liriope gigantea
  • Synonym: Liriope exiliflora

Photo Gallery
Location: Thomasville, GA USA
Date: 2020-04-28
A newly released male #Monarch (number 15 as of 4/28/2020) drying
Location: At home
Date: 2022-10-01
Location: North West New Jersey
Date: 2020-09-14
Location: Downtown Russellville
Date: November 8 2020
Christmas colors!
Location: The Natural State
Date: 2019-08-18
Location: Sebastian,  Florida
Date: 2019-07-22
Location: Aberdeen, nc
Date: September 9, 2021
Monkey grass  #3 nn and fg #12; LHB p. 205, 33-10-2, "From the ny
Location: Aberdeen, NC (my garden 2022)
Date: August 1, 2022
Monkey grass  #3 nn and fg #12; LHB p. 205, 33-10-2, "From the ny
Location: Maryland
Date: 2014-08-24
Location: RHS Harlow Carr, Yorkshire, UK
Date: 2021-10-10
Photo by Hamwild

Date: 2005-08-22
Location: At home
Date: 2022-10-01
Location: Orto Botanico di Cagliari - Sardinia
Date: 2017-09-17
Location: Fountain, Florida
Date: 2011-10-30
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: August 31, 2011
Location: Aberdeen, NC (my garden 2022)
Date: August 1, 2022
Monkey grass  #3 nn and fg #12; LHB p. 205, 33-10-2, "From the ny
Location: Opp, AL
Date: 2014-09-26
Location: zone 8 Lake City, Fl.
Date: 2013-06-19
Location: my garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: 2007-08-26
Location: My garden in Gent, Belgium
Date: 2005-09-13
Location: My garden, Pequea, Pennsylvania 17565
Date: 2016-09-02
Location: Ft Worth Botanic, Tx
Date: 2017-11-18

Date: February 3, 2011
Location: zone 8 Lake City, Fl.
Date: 2015-02-14
Location: Maryland
Date: 2015-08-15
Photo by purpleinopp
Location: zone 8 Lake City, Fl.
Date: 2013-08-20
Photo by sedumzz

Date: 2014-08-13
Location: RHS Harlow Carr, Yorkshire, UK
Date: 2021-10-10
Photo by Hamwild
Location: Barcelona, Spain | April, 2023 
Date: 2023-04-04
Location: My garden, Pequea, Pennsylvania 17565
Date: 2016-09-02
Location: My garden, Pequea, Pennsylvania 17565
Date: 2016-09-02
Photo by sedumzz

Date: 2014-06-26
Location: Balboa Park Botanical Gardens, San Diego, California                 
Date: 2013-08-16

Credit florum
Location: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Date: 2011-11-11
white variegated cultivar

Date: 2015-01-07
Photo courtesy of: Clivid
Location: Ft Worth Botanic, Tx
Date: 2017-11-18
Location: Fountain, Florida
Date: 2011-10-30

Date: March 12, 2011
Location: Kunming Botanical Garden, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
Date: August
Location: my garden 
Date: 2016-09-25
Location: zone 8 Lake City, Fl.
Date: 2013-06-19
Location: zone 8 Lake City, Fl.
Date: 2013-06-19
This plant is tagged in:
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Comments:
  • Posted by Marylyn (Houston, TX - Zone 9a) on Jun 24, 2013 11:22 PM concerning plant:
    I was given some liriope by a friend. It's a compact kind, with white flowers instead of lavender, but I don't know the name, so I am posting this comment under the general entry.

    I planted one row of it around a tree in a shady bed, and it looked wonderful. Eight or so years later, it now fills the middle of the bed, wherever I don't have something else planted. It makes great "living mulch"! It keeps out most weeds, and doesn't seem to bother the new bushes at all. (We took out the original tree a few years ago.)

    Its roots are very shallow, and it isn't too much of a chore to rip it out where it isn't wanted. It transplants to a new site very easily. It survived the nasty drought in 2011 (when most of the smaller monkey grass that was planted nearby died), and several cold winters haven't bothered it a bit.
  • Posted by JuniperAnn (Coastal TX (Sunset 28/31) - Zone 9a) on Apr 26, 2019 3:56 PM concerning plant:
    If you live in the southeastern USA, you already know this plant. It's a well-behaved, if not terribly exciting, workhorse plant. Tolerates drought and some flooding. No care at all. A classic for edges of flower beds since it forms very slowly spreading clumps that are easy to keep in check. Grow in part shade (in which case it will grow some nice but not attention-grabbing spikes of purple flowers in spring) or full shade (no flowers). Tolerates clay soil, alkaline soil, & dry shade.

    Descriptions of this plant sometimes say that it will not tolerate flooding. I've read in a few sources that if the leaves turn brown after flooding, then that means that the roots have a fungal infection and the plant will die. I have a few plants that came with my house in flood-prone areas, and they keep trucking on. If their spot floods for several days, the leaf edges will turn brown and then slowly recover. So I guess they need good drainage in some climates / soils / situations, but they seem to be fairly flood tolerant here.

    When buying do NOT just go by the dark green or variegated grassy appearance. Check the label! Look-alikes liriope spicata and members of the ophiopogon genus are aggressive, and should only be grown in pots or in isolated beds surrounded by concrete (or, better yet, not at all. A bed of just "monkey grass" isn't particularly attractive and if you don't constantly fight it, that's what you'll get).
  • Posted by plantladylin (Sebastian, Florida - Zone 10a) on Sep 19, 2011 4:20 PM concerning plant:
    I see this plant often used as borders and edging in landscapes here in Florida. I keep it in a container because I've heard it can spread and get out of control.
  • Posted by ILPARW (southeast Pennsylvania - Zone 6b) on Apr 28, 2019 7:30 AM concerning plant:
    Liriope muscari is the Big Blue Liriope that gets around 18 inches high and forms clumps that do not really spread much, if at all. The clump can be left undisturbed indefinitely. In southeast Pennsylvania I have only seen this species grown and planted as a white variegated cultivar that is commonly planted around by everyone and sold a lot at the big box stores, besides conventional nurseries. The other species of Liriope spicata (the Creeping Lilyturf) is shorter and almost always is dark green, except for a uncommon spotted cultivar, and slowly spreads like crazy and can invade everything unless grown by itself.
Plant Events from our members
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Catmint20906 On October 25, 2014 Fruit Ripened
Catmint20906 On August 23, 2014 Bloomed
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WebTucker On September 9, 2021 Bloomed
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