Liriope spicata

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Creeping lilyturf
Liriope spicata 2016-07-23 04.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Nolinoideae
Genus: Liriope
Species:
L. spicata
Binomial name
Liriope spicata
(Thunb.) Lour.

Liriope spicata is a species of low, herbaceous flowering plant from East Asia. Common names include creeping lilyturf, [1] creeping liriope, lilyturf, and monkey grass. This perennial has grass-like evergreen foliage and is commonly used in landscaping in temperate climates as groundcover. Creeping lilyturf has white to lavender flowers which produce single-seeded berries on a spike in the fall. It is one of the most popular groundcovers in the southeastern United States and areas with a similar climate.

Contents

Distribution and habitat

Creeping lilyturf is a native understory plant in China and Vietnam occurring in forests and grassy slopes at elevations of sea level to 5,900 feet (1,800 meters). [2] [3]

Characteristics

Liriope spicata.jpg

Creeping lilyturf is a rhizomatous, grass-like perennial which forms clusters of narrow, arching, glossy, dark green leaves (to 14 inch (0.64 cm) wide) typically growing 9 to 15 inches (23 to 38 centimetres) high. [3] Erect flower spikes with small, white to pale lavender flowers arise, somewhat hidden, among the leaves in late summer. Blackish berries develop in fall and often persist through winter. Roots have prominent rhizomes and frequent tubers. A cultivar exists with variegated leaves. [4]

Creeping lilyturf looks very similar to another common species in the genus—lilyturf ( Liriope muscari ). Creeping lilyturf can be distinguished by its rhizomatous root system (in contrast to the diffused root system of lilyturf), its less prominent flower spike being partially within leaves (lilyturf has a longer spike extending well above leaves), and its generally narrower and shorter leaves when compared those of lilyturf. [5]

Cultivation

Creeping lilyturf is easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Moist, fertile soils with partial shade are ideal, but it also tolerates wide range of light and soil conditions. Creeping lilyturf also tolerates heat, humidity, and drought. The evergreen foliage often turns brown in late winter; old foliage can be cut back or mowed at a high setting before new shoots appear early spring. Creeping lilyturf is suitable for USDA zones 4 to 10. [3]

Propagation

Germination characteristics of the seeds of creeping lilyturf are probably similar to those of Liriope muscari, which have been investigated more thoroughly; its germination guidelines should be followed.

Creeping lilyturf is easily reproduced by dividing the root mass and rhizomes. [6] The optimum time to do this is during the dormant season before onset of new growth. [5] Plants produced by division are identical to the mother plant, and thus, cultivar traits are retained.

Uses

Creeping lilyturf is mainly used in mass plantings as a groundcover. Its tendency of aggressive spreading makes it generally unsuitable as a border plant. The species has been observed to establish rhizomes beneath concrete borders. Creeping lilyturf is an excellent plant to establish on steep slopes where erosion control is needed. Minimal maintenance is required.

Liriope spicata is used as a substitute for mondo grass ( Ophiopogon japonicus ) in Chinese medicine as an herb for yin deficiency. [2] [7]

Air quality

According to NASA Clean Air Study, Liriope spicata filters formaldehyde, ammonia, xylene and toluene from the air.

Problems

No serious diseases or pests occur for creeping lilyturf. Root rot ( Pythium ) has been reported. Anthracnose fungus sometimes causes reddish steaks in the leaves. Scale insects have been reported to cause unsightly reddish spots on leaves during late summer. Slugs and snails are occasional pests. [6]

Some people feel that creeping lilyturf has been overused as a landscaping plant and that suitable native plants can be used in its place. [8] Lilyturf is reported to have little wildlife value.

Like most other non-grass groundcovers, creeping lilyturf does not hold up to traffic well. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Groundcover</span> Plant with low spreading growth

Groundcover or ground cover is any plant that grows over an area of ground. Groundcover provides protection of the topsoil from erosion and drought.

<i>Liriope</i> (plant) Genus of flowering plants

Liriope is a genus of low, grass-like flowering plants from East and Southeast Asia.

<i>Glechoma hederacea</i> Species of flowering plants in the mint and sage family Lamiaceae

Glechoma hederacea is an aromatic, perennial, evergreen creeper of the mint family Lamiaceae. It is commonly known as ground-ivy, gill-over-the-ground, creeping charlie, alehoof, tunhoof, catsfoot, field balm, and run-away-robin. It is also sometimes known as creeping jenny, but that name more commonly refers to Lysimachia nummularia. It is used as a salad green in many countries. European settlers carried it around the world, and it has become a well-established introduced and naturalized plant in a wide variety of localities. It is also considered an aggressive invasive weed of woodlands and lawns in some parts of North America. In the absence of any biological control, research conducted by the USDA herbicides are relied upon particularly for woodland ecosystems. The plant's extensive root system makes it difficult to eradicate by hand-pulling.

<i>Anemonoides nemorosa</i> Species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae

Anemonoides nemorosa, the wood anemone, is an early-spring flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to Europe. Other common names include windflower, European thimbleweed, and smell fox, an allusion to the musky smell of the leaves. It is a perennial herbaceous plant growing 5–15 cm (2–6 in) tall.

<i>Ophiopogon japonicus</i> Species of grass

Ophiopogon japonicus (dwarf lilyturf, mondograss, fountainplant, monkeygrass; Japanese: リュウノヒゲ ryu-no-hige or ジャノヒゲ ja-no-hige is a species of Ophiopogon native to China, India, Japan, and Vietnam.

This is an alphabetical index of articles related to gardening.

<i>Physostegia virginiana</i> Species of flowering plant

Physostegia virginiana, the obedient plant, obedience or false dragonhead, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is native to North America, where it is distributed from eastern Canada to northern Mexico. Physostegia are known commonly as obedient plants because a flower pushed to one side will often stay in that position. The name “false dragonhead” refers to the dragonheads of the related Dracocephalum, a genus to which the plant once belonged.

<i>Thymus citriodorus</i> Species of flowering plant

Thymus citriodorus, the lemon thyme or citrus thyme, is a lemon-scented evergreen mat-forming perennial plant in the family Lamiaceae. There has been a great amount of confusion over the plant's correct name and origin. Recent DNA analysis suggests that it is not a hybrid or cross, but a distinct species as it was first described in 1811., yet an analysis in a different study clustered Thymus citriodorus together with Thymus vulgaris, which is considered as one of its parent species.

<i>Festuca rubra</i> Species of flowering plant

Festuca rubra is a species of grass known by the common name red fescue, creeping red fescue or the rush-leaf fescue. It is widespread across much of the Northern Hemisphere and can tolerate many habitats and climates. It is best adapted to well-drained soils in cool, temperate climates; it prefers shadier areas and is often planted for its shade tolerance. Wild animals browse it, but it has not been important for domestic forage due to low productivity and palatability. It is also an ornamental plant for gardens.

<i>Liatris spicata</i> Species of flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae

Liatris spicata, the dense blazing star, prairie feather, gayfeather or button snakewort, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to eastern North America where it grows in moist prairies and sedge meadows.

<i>Hakonechloa</i> Genus of grasses

Hakonechloa is a genus of bunchgrass in the tribe Molinieae of the grass family, Poaceae, native to eastern Asia.

<i>Brunnera</i> Genus of flowering plants in the borage family Boraginaceae

Brunnera is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. They are rhizomatous perennials, native to the woodlands of Eastern Europe and North West Asia. They have hairy leaves and sprays of blue flowers in spring. Numerous cultivars are available, which are valued as groundcover in dappled shade. Some possess variegated foliage. The best known species is Brunnera macrophylla, known as Siberian bugloss.

<i>Liriope muscari</i> Species of flowering plant

Liriope muscari is a species of flowering plant from East Asia. Common names in English include big blue lilyturf, lilyturf, border grass, and monkey grass. This small herbaceous perennial has grass-like evergreen foliage and lilac-purple flowers which produce single-seeded berries on a spike in the fall. It is invasive to North America and considered a threat to native wildlife.

<i>Leymus triticoides</i> Species of flowering plant

Leymus triticoides, with the common names creeping wild rye and beardless wild rye, is a species of wild rye. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California and Texas.

<i>Ophiopogon planiscapus</i> Species of grass

Ophiopogon planiscapus is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae. It is a small evergreen perennial growing to 20 cm (8 in) tall by 30 cm (12 in)wide. It grows from short rhizomes, and bears tufts of grasslike leaves, from which purple or white flowers emerge in racemes held on short stems above the leaves. It is native to Japan, where it grows on open and forested slopes.

<i>Elymus lanceolatus</i> Species of grass

Elymus lanceolatus is a species of grass known by the common names thickspike wheatgrass and streamside wheatgrass. It is native to North America, where it is widespread and abundant in much of Canada and the western and central United States. There are two subspecies, subsp. lanceolatus occurring throughout the species' range and subsp. psammophilus occurring in the Great Lakes region.

<i>Maranta leuconeura</i> Species of flowering plant

Maranta leuconeura, widely known as the prayer plant due to its daily sunlight-dependent movements, is a species of flowering plant in the family Marantaceae native to the Brazilian tropical forests. It is a variable, rhizomatous perennial, growing to 30 cm (12 in) tall and broad, with crowded clumps of evergreen, strikingly-marked oval leaves, each up to 12 cm (5 in) long. The plant spreads itself horizontally, carpeting an entire small area of forest floor, sending roots into the substrate at each leaf node.

<i>Digitaria didactyla</i> Species of flowering plant

Digitaria didactyla is a species of grass known by the common names blue couch, Queensland blue couch, blue serangoon grass, green serangoon grass, blue stargrass, and petit gazon. It is native to Mauritius, Réunion, parts of mainland Africa, and Madagascar. It has been introduced widely outside its native range, mainly for use as a pasture and turf grass. It has naturalized in some regions.

<i>Helichrysum thianschanicum</i> Species of shrub

Helichrysum thianschanicum is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is commonly known as silver spike or icicle plant. It is part of a large genus of over 500 species.

<i>Waldsteinia ternata</i> Species of flowering plant

Waldsteinia ternata, commonly referred to as barren strawberry, is an herbaceous perennial plant. It has a disjunct distribution, being native to Eastern Europe and Eastern Asia, namely the Changbai Mountains of China, Sakhalin and Siberia in Russia, and Japan.

References

  1. Lee, Sangtae; Chang, Kae Sun, eds. (2015). English Names for Korean Native Plants (PDF). Pocheon: Korea National Arboretum. p. 523. ISBN   978-89-97450-98-5 . Retrieved 20 March 2019 via Korea Forest Service.
  2. 1 2 Plants for a Future: Liriope spicata.
  3. 1 2 3 Missouri Botanical Garden: Kemper Center for Home Gardening: Liriope spicata.
  4. Edward F. Gilman 1999. Liriope spicata. University of Florida: Cooperative Extension Service. Fact Sheet FPS 350.
  5. 1 2 "Mary C. Broussard. 2007. A Horticultural Study of Liriope and Ophiopogon: Nomenclature, Morphology and Culture. Louisiana State University. Dissertation. 129 p." (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-07-19. Retrieved 2009-07-03.
  6. 1 2 Jay Deputy. 1999. Liriope, the “Other” Mondo Grass. College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources, University of Hawaii at Manona: Cooperative Extension Service.
  7. Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica Third Edition by Daniel Bensky, Steven Clavey, Erich Stoger and Andrew Gamble. Eastland Press, 2004
  8. Go Native: Dwarf gamma grass vs Liriope. Archived 2009-03-10 at the Wayback Machine
  9. Virginia Cooperative Extension. Diane Relf; Bonnie Appleton. Selecting Landscaping Plants: Groundcovers. (426-609).