{"title":"Liriope","description":"\u003cp\u003eLiriope is one of the most ubiquitous garden plants in the southeast, however, gardeners have only scratched the surface of these easy-to-grow perennials. It is a tough-as-nails, drought-tolerant member of the lily family that can be grown in sun or shade, and in moist or dry sites. Although not a true ornamental grass, its habit is very grass-like and it is often lumped together with them. Liriope looks very similar to \u003ca title=\"Ophiopogon (Mondo Grass)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.plantdelights.sbs\/collections\/ophiopogon-black-dwarf-mondo-grass\"\u003eophiopogon\u003c\/a\u003e and the two are often used the same way in gardens, but usually not together.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eWe strive to offer some of the more fascinating and unusual liriope species that we have acquired from plant hunting expeditions and from breeders worldwide.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003ePlant Delights Nursery is the nation's foremost nursery for liriope. We grow more species and cultivars than any other nursery in the world and in 2015 we worked with Dr. Paul Fantz of NC State University to publish an award winning journal article describing liriopes grown in the US.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003ch3\u003eHow to Grow Liriope (Monkey Grass)\u003c\/h3\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDesign Considerations\u003c\/strong\u003e: Liriope is generally used as an edging plant along borders, beds, and paths. It is also used (especially the spreading forms) as a bed filler and groundcover. Liriope also makes a tough and easy to grow container plant. Its tolerance of air pollution makes it a great choice for cities too. It is evergreen, it looks a little like real grass, and is tolerant of harsher growing conditions, but liriope does not tolerate foot traffic so it is not a good turf substitute. It is a great low maintenance plant for hillside erosion control. Variegated liriope can be used to lighten up an area.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSoil\u003c\/strong\u003e: Any kind except waterlogged. Well-drained is better than poorly drained.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWater\u003c\/strong\u003e: Drought tolerant, but regular watering during the spring and summer keeps it looking its best.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSun:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sun or shade. Growth is best in part sun.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFertilizer\u003c\/strong\u003e: Does not need much fertilizer. A single application of compost in the spring is enough to feed it for the year.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePruning\u003c\/strong\u003e: Old foliage and stressed out plants can look ratty. To keep your liriope looking fresh, mow or trim it to 3\" tall in the early spring and the new foliage will quickly sprout and look good all year long.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePests\u003c\/strong\u003e: Deer and Rabbits do not eat it. Most insects leave it alone. Sometimes you will see scale or slugs on it. Too much rain or overhead can cause reddish leaf spots or brown leaf tips that are ugly but will not kill the plant. This is a disease called anthracnose and you should cut the diseased foliage and remove it from the area. The same mowing treatment used to prune the plants will also work in this situation. Too much water can trigger root rot and if that happens the affected plant should be discarded...but it is easy to avoid.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"liriope-muscari-peedee-ingot","title":"Liriope muscari Peedee Ingot","description":"\u003cp\u003eWow! From South Carolina plantswoman Ursula Herz comes an incredible \u003ca title=\"monkey grass\" href=\"https:\/\/www.plantdelights.sbs\/collections\/liriope\"\u003emonkey grass\u003c\/a\u003e that forms an 18\" tall x 30\" wide clump of brilliant golden foliage. In shade, the foliage of Liriope 'Peedee Ingot' fades to a chartreuse-green in late summer, but when grown with any sun exposure, the foliage remains bright gold all year. Liriope 'Peedee Ingot' (named after SC's Pee Dee River) makes a great golden textural accent in the garden, combining nicely with other contrasting colors. In late summer, the clumps are topped with typical 1' tall spikes of lilac-lavender flowers.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ch3\u003eMaintenance:\u003c\/h3\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eLiriope requires very little maintenance. Liriope foliage is usually handsome all year long. Its showy flowers are most welcome in the late summer\/earliest fall garden. Though it is standard practice to cut the foliage back before spring this is not an absolute necessity. Certainly do so if the foliage has become shabby. It is highly advisable to do this by late winter before tender new shoots start developing so the new shoots are not damaged during this clean up work. It is also highly recommended that this removal of old foliage is done in late winter and not in fall or early winter for a cut back plant is not a thing of beauty and postponing cutback to late winter means that there will be shorter time before the cut back foliage is replaced by new. Cutting back old foliage is not required by the plant but benefits only the tidy minded gardener.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003ch3\u003eGrowing Conditions:\u003c\/h3\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eMonkey grass is happiest in shade. It will tolerate sun but its foliage will be yellow and shabby if exposed to too much hot sun. It requires only average soil, average moisture and drainage. Clumps do not require division, at least not for many years, but can be divided if one wanted additional plants.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003ch3\u003eNatural Impacts:\u003c\/h3\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eLiriope muscari is a handsome evergreen presence in the shade garden. Its late summer flowers a touch of color and freshness when there are few other plants blooming in the shade garden. This cultivar 'Pee Dee Ingot' is a brilliant spot of \"gold\" in the lightly shaded garden where it gets enough sun to be gold and not green. Extensive research has proven that Liriope does not need to be planted in lines bordering sidewalks and similar structures, and can instead be planted individually or in freeform masses.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plant Delights Nursery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":21025151301,"sku":"3096","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1527\/8799\/files\/Liriope-muscari-Peedee-Ingot.i-3096.s-62964.r-1.jpg?v=1787763775"},{"product_id":"liriope-muscari-okina","title":"Liriope muscari Okina","description":"\u003cp\u003eLiriope 'Okina' is a very cool selection of the clumping \u003ca title=\"monkey grass\" href=\"https:\/\/www.plantdelights.sbs\/collections\/liriope\"\u003emonkey grass\u003c\/a\u003e that came to us from famed Japanese nurseryman Akira Shibamichi in 1996, and subsequently introduced to US commerce by Plant Delights Nursery in 2002. In spring, the top 75% of each leaf is pure white. As Liriope 'Okina' matures through the growing season, the white becomes speckled with green flecks, eventually changing to flecked light green by fall (the coloration will hold better in cooler climates). In late summer, the clumps are topped with the typical stalks of lilac flowers. Liriope 'Okina' is truly a stunning plant that will stop visitors in their tracks!\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaintenance:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eLiriope requires very little maintenance. Liriope foliage is usually handsome all year long. Its showy flowers are most welcome in the late summer\/earliest fall garden. Though it is standard practice to cut the foliage back before spring this is not an absolute necessity. Certainly do so if the foliage has become shabby. It is highly advisable to do this by late winter before tender new shoots start developing so the new shoots are not damaged during this clean up work. It is also highly recommended that this removal of old foliage is done in late winter and not in fall or early winter for a cut back plant is not a thing of beauty and postponing cutback to late winter means that there will be shorter time before the cut back foliage is replaced by new. Cutting back old foliage is not required by the plant but benefits only the tidy minded gardener.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowing Conditions:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca title=\"Monkey grass\" href=\"https:\/\/www.plantdelights.sbs\/collections\/liriope\"\u003eMonkey grass\u003c\/a\u003e is happiest in shade. It will tolerate sun but its foliage will be yellow and shabby if exposed to too much hot sun. It requires only average soil, average moisture and drainage. Clumps do not require division, at least not for many years, but can be divided if one wanted additional plants.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNatural Impacts:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eLiriope muscari is a handsome evergreen presence in the shade garden. Its late summer flowers a touch of color and freshness when there are few other plants blooming in the shade garden. Extensive research has proven that monkey grass does not need to be planted in lines bordering sidewalks and similar structures, and can instead be planted individually or in freeform masses. 'Okina's white new foliage is quite dramatic in the shade garden, a color display that lasts for months, far longer than most floral displays.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plant Delights Nursery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":21025449349,"sku":"3542","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1527\/8799\/files\/Liriope-muscari-Okina.i-3542.s-67481.r-1_c5ca1dbf-9c39-44d5-821e-ab246ec04c74.jpg?v=1790263495"},{"product_id":"liriope-gracilis-mop-top","title":"Liriope gracilis Mop Top","description":"\u003cp\u003eLiriope gracilis 'Mop Top' is a previously undiscovered Chinese liriope species, first published by Plant Delights Nursery in 2016. Our original plants were discovered by plantsman Darrell Probst on an expedition to Sichuan, China. We feel Liriope gracilis is one of the finest species of liriope for home gardens. The tight evergreen clumps measure 6\" at the base and arch out to form a 15\" tall x 30\" wide, fine-textured mound of 1\/8\" narrow leaves that resemble the mop top hairdos of the 1970s. The 7\" long spikes of light lavender flowers are nestled in the foliage, starting in mid-June, and followed in October by green fruit that ages to black. Our offering of Liriope gracilis 'Mop Top' is a seed strain.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWatch our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/TasxB0DItOc?si=8bxA2NGKPFKS_JcA\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePlant Spotlight\u003c\/a\u003e video for more information.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plant Delights Nursery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":21029895941,"sku":"11801","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1527\/8799\/files\/Liriope-gracilis-Mop-Top.i-11801.s-67478.r-1_84c20845-5075-4d5b-976c-3ebba9bde2c8.jpg?v=1791485939"},{"product_id":"liriope-platyphylla-peters-pick","title":"Liriope platyphylla Peters Pick","description":"\u003cp\u003eWe are thrilled to be able to offer this amazing Zone 5 \u003ca title=\"See more hardy monkey grass\" href=\"https:\/\/www.plantdelights.sbs\/collections\/liriope\"\u003ehardy monkey grass\u003c\/a\u003e...a breakthrough for gardeners in colder climates where most liriope fear to tread. Liriope platyphylla 'Peter's Pick' is a fascinating seedling selection from a 1989 collection by retired Arnold Arboretum botanist, Peter del Tredici from Tian Mu Shan in China's Zhejiang Province. Liriope 'Peter's Pick' is most certainly a tetraploid, displaying trademark thicker leaves, shorter, denser flower stalks, and a more compact habit than typical Liriope platyphylla. For us, the 9\" tall x 2' wide clumps are topped with narrow 18\" tall flower spikes of dark purple, starting for us in late May...truly elegant!\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e ","brand":"Plant Delights Nursery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":32454639878231,"sku":"13042","price":26.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1527\/8799\/files\/Liriope-platyphylla-Peters-Pick.i-13042.s-66361.r-1_4e0a8ac1-c3fa-49bd-a4ef-55aa7ede5059.jpg?v=1786555782"},{"product_id":"liriope-minor-gotemba-gold","title":"Liriope minor Gotemba Gold","description":"\u003cp\u003eLiriope minor 'Gotemba Gold' is a splendid golden leaf form of the dwarf Liriope minor, native to China, Korea, Japan, Manchuria, and Taiwan. Our start was shared by Georgia plantsman Ozzie Johnson, who brought this back from Japan's Gotemba Nursery. In good soil, this dwarf spreading groundcover forms a 3\" tall x 4' wide mat in 4 years. While Liriope minor grows in both shade and sun, the color is much more vivid in at least a half day of sun.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWatch our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=yk1737rf5go\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePlant Spotlight\u003c\/a\u003e video for more information.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plant Delights Nursery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42450488295511,"sku":"18293","price":23.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1527\/8799\/files\/Liriope-minor-Gotemba-Gold.i-18293.s-68324.r-1_dbda79ab-f87c-48de-a7e9-394732b5baae.jpg?v=1787930956"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1527\/8799\/collections\/Liriope-Peedee-Ingot-1900x350.jpg?v=1685984245","url":"https:\/\/www.plantdelights.sbs\/collections\/liriope.oembed","provider":"Plant Delights Nursery","version":"1.0","type":"link"}