I fist saw this groundcover perennial in the 1990's at the foundation of a bank in the west suburbs of Chicago, IL in a protected location. I was thrilled back in those days, hardly ever seeing it. However, after living in southeast Pennsylvania where this Creeping Lilyturf is about 100 times as common as in the Chicago area, I have decided that I don't really like it. The reasons are: that it slowly spreads aggressively into everything and interferes with other groundcovers and perennials, and ruins the appearance of any lower shrubs, and that one has to either mow it down or weed-eat it to the ground in early spring to keep it from becoming a brown ugly mass. Many people are willing to use sharp shears or even hand pruners to cut it back, and that is hard on one's body, being so low to the ground for good periods of time. It begins as a cute little grassy-looking perennial with cute little purple flowers in a pot and does not stay cute. It is not easy to remove if you get tired of it as it has a very dense fibrous root system. I think Martha Stewart liked to use it as a edging plant, but to do that one must constantly chase after it to hold it back from spreading. The only use I see for it is in parking lot islands around trees or some little confined areas surrounded by cement. I have seen it pop through the edges of black top driveways when it is bordering them. This species from China and Japan really should have stayed there. I have seen reports of it escaping cultivation near Washington DC.

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This plant is good for erosion control, weed suppression, and pollinators. Liriope Spicata has performed well in my zone 7b North Georgia Mountains garden as erosion control on a steep bank and as a weed-suppressing ground cover under my Knock-out Rose hedge. When I acquired Liriope Spicata at a Master Gardener's plant sale, I was warned it would spread. In 7 years it has grown from 6 clumps to cover 5 square yards of a steep hillside in partial shade. As it has grown to the top of the hillside, it has filled in under my rose hedge. I've discovered that as well as erosion control, it suppresses the growth and germination of weeds, such that a once-a-summer weeding is sufficient to keep the weeds in check. Liriope Spicata sends up stalks of small purple flowers in late August, becoming a favorite of local pollinators when other flowers have faded. The evergreen foliage turns green-gray and rough in winter, so many people mow or cut back the foliage in spring to make room for prettier new foliage. I do not cut back the foliage, and as summer progresses, the new foliage overtakes the old foliage. The plant continually spreads by runners, so it should NOT be used as a border in gardens. Instead Liriope muscari forms clumps which are more easily controlled as a border.

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We were gifted with several bags full of thinned out monkey grass from a friend shortly after moving into our new home. I planted a ring around a raised bed that was almost fully shaded in the summer. It gets partial sun in the winter when the neighbor's ash tree looses its leaves. In about 5 years the monkey grass was almost meeting in the middle of the bed - and the bed is about 12 feet in diameter! Fortunately it is easy to pull and re-home.

Don't buy this at a store!! Ask around or look in Craigslist and you'll probably find someone more than willing to give you their extras.

It is a great groundcover - it won't take over the world the moment your back is turned, but it will spread as far as you let it. It spreads by shallow runners and it is very easy to pull up. It is attractive. Cats love it! It can take moderate foot traffic without complaint. It has fared just fine in Houston's heavy rainfalls. Some of it did die this summer in our long drought - I was surprised! I know where I can get more, though! :-)

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