Border grasses are an excellent choice for adding visual interest along walkways, fences, or anywhere defining edges in your landscape. One especially lovely option is a grass that produces beautiful purple blooms in summer – liriope. Also known as lilyturf or monkey grass, this easy care plant spreads nicely while staying low, making it ideal as a border With colorful flowers and lush foliage, liriope brings beauty to landscapes
What is Liriope?
Liriope is a genus of low-growing, grass-like perennials perfect for borders, edging, and ground covers. There are around 50 species, the most popular being Liriope muscari and Liriope spicata. Sometimes called monkey grass or lilyturf, liriope is native to East and Southeast Asia.
This clumping grass features strappy, arching green leaves. From late summer into fall, plants produce spikes of light lavender to deep purple flowers. Depending on the variety, bloom stalks reach 6-12 inches above the foliage. Plants spread by underground rhizomes and form wide clumps 12-18 inches tall and wide.
Liriope grows well in zones 4-10. It tolerates full sun to part shade and does well in most soils as long as drainage is good. Liriope needs regular watering when first planted but becomes quite drought tolerant once established. It stays evergreen in warm climates but dies back in cold winters.
Why Grow Liriope?
There are many reasons to consider liriope for your landscape
- Adds color with green foliage and purple blooms
- Spreads to form a dense, weed-suppressing mat
- Stays compact at 12-18 inches tall
- Tolerates heat, humidity, drought, salt, and poor soil
- Requires minimal care and maintenance
- Deer and rabbit resistant
- Provides erosion control on slopes
- Good for borders, walkways, and edging
Liriope offers beauty and versatility for landscaping needs. It’s one of the most popular border grasses due to its lush appeal, graceful flowers, and easy care nature.
Best Purple Flowering Varieties
Many cultivars of liriope offer purple blooms. Here are some of the top options:
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Liriope muscari ‘Royal Purple’ – Deep purple flowers with dark green, wide foliage. Grows 12-18 inches tall.
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Liriope muscari ‘Big Blue’ – Lavender-purple blooms on wide, arching green leaves. Reaches 1-2 feet tall.
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Liriope spicata ‘Silver Dragon’ – Lavender spikes rise above green and cream striped thin leaves. Grows to 12 inches tall.
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Liriope muscari ‘Christmas Tree’ – Pale purple flowers on wide leaves. Compact at 9-12 inches tall.
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Liriope muscari ‘John Burch’ – Lavender blooms on green and yellow variegated foliage. Grows 12 inches tall.
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Liriope muscari ‘Majestic’ – Very large lilac-purple blooms on substantial dark green foliage. Reaches 18 inches tall.
No matter which liriope you choose, you’ll get a tough, spreading grass that produces beautiful purple flower spikes in late summer through fall. It’s a star for borders, walkways, and mass plantings.
How to Grow Liriope
Liriope is one of the easiest landscaping plants to grow. It thrives with minimal care. Follow these tips for success:
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Plant in spring or fall, spacing clumps 12 inches apart.
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Choose a site with full sun to part shade and well-drained soil.
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Keep the soil moist the first season, then water occasionally during droughts.
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Apply a balanced fertilizer in early spring to boost growth.
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Cut back old foliage to the ground in late winter before new growth emerges.
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Divide congested clumps every 3-4 years in early spring if needed.
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Remove spent bloom spikes after flowering ends.
That’s all there is to growing beautiful, purple-flowering liriope as an elegant border or edging! It couldn’t be much simpler to add this graceful grass to your landscape.
Designing With Liriope
Liriope serves many functions in landscape designs. Its neat form and spreads nicely to create borders and curves. Consider using liriope in these ways:
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Define the edges along a sidewalk, patio, or driveway
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Line a front walkway or path to the door
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Edge a flowerbed or planting area
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Fill in along a fence or property line
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Create sweeps and curves for visual interest
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Mass as a colorful groundcover
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Intersperse within garden beds for texture
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Accent rock gardens, retaining walls, or other hardscaping
With its fine-textured foliage and charming blooms, liriope makes a statement in borders and beds. It provides structure while softening edges and boundaries. Liriope brings life to landscapes in any season.
For stunning purple flowers and graceful appeal, liriope is a top choice for border grasses. This low care perennial thrives in full sun to part shade and practically any soil. Liriope spreads nicely, making it perfect to define edges along walkways, patios, and plantings. With many fine varieties to choose from, liriope offers beauty, versatility, and easy care for gardens. Give this lovely purple flowering grass a try in your beds and borders!
MONKEY GRASS awesome Fall Plant with Purple flowers.
FAQ
What kind of grass has purple flowers?
What is the clump grass with purple flowers?
Does Royal purple Liriope spread?
Does Liriope like sun or shade?
What is purple love grass?
Source: Matt Lavin Eragrostis spectabilis var. sparsihirsuta is a grass known commonly as purple love grass, tumblegrass, petticoat climber, and purple plains lovegrass. It is native to 41 states in America and is naturalized in many areas of North America, including California, Montana, and even parts of Mexico.
What kind of grass grows in clumps?
Liriope muscari is the non-spreading monkey grass plant variety that grows in bushy clumps. Monkey grass is also a flowering plant species. The ornamental grass-like plant blooms into life in late summer with spikes of small bluish-violet flower spikes. These purple flowers contrast nicely with the green ribbon-like leafy foliage.
When does purple grass Bloom?
The bloom time for this grass lasts from late summer to mid-fall. Because the grass is clump-forming, it often spreads slowly after it’s been established in its native habitat. The same goes for garden plantings. This grass with purple flowers is great for meadows full of native plants and meant to support wildlife.
Where does purple plains lovegrass grow?
In the wild, you’ll find it growing in sandy or gravelly soil, in upland savannas, and in the sandy soils of salty coasts. Purple plains lovegrass is a plant that thrives in conditions where disturbed and well-drained soil is readily available. Native plants in the grass family are very tough and save competition from invasives.