How do you trim a giant liriope
Isabella Browning
Updated on April 18, 2026
Liriope can be cut back to the ground in late winter to remove all the old ragged foliage. A lawn mower or weed eater is a fast and easy way to cut the plants back. New growth will return in early spring to begin filling back in.
Should giant liriope be cut back?
Liriope can be cut back to the ground in late winter to remove all the old ragged foliage. A lawn mower or weed eater is a fast and easy way to cut the plants back. New growth will return in early spring to begin filling back in.
How far back do you cut liriope?
Answer: There are several plants that are virtually impossible to kill. One of them is liriope, or monkey grass. Therefore, you do not have to wait until late winter to trim the leaves back. I cut all my liriope back to within about 4 inches from the ground in the fall.
What time of year do you cut back liriope?
The best time to trim lilyturf’s damaged old foliage is anytime before its healthy new foliage emerges in spring. Otherwise, you’ll shave the top of the fresh growth as well as the old growth. Fall trimming of anthracnose-blemished plants — in warm-winter climates, at least — keeps them looking good until spring.What do you do with overgrown liriope?
Use a spade or shovel to dig down around the liriope. Till the area around the removed plants and over the ground with plastic or newspaper to help choke out further growth.
How do you revive liriope?
The drought may have damaged your liriope, or you may have a disease called liriope anthracnose. If drought was the problem, I would suggest that you cut out all the damaged foliage and allow the plants to recover this spring. They should put out a nice flush of growth and look like new.
How do you maintain liriope?
- Water the plant regularly, providing at least 1 inch of water every week when there’s no natural rainfall. …
- Cut off old, ragged foliage when new foliage appears in spring.
- Rake the area around the plant to remove leaves and other plant debris where slugs and snails like to hide.
What is the best fertilizer for liriope?
Liriope doesn’t need a lot of fertilizer. A light application of 10-10-10 – around ¼ cup per plant – applied in the spring is sufficient, especially if you have fertile soil. In fact, too much fertilizer can make this plant more prone to disease and insect problems.How do you get liriope to bloom?
Where traditional turf fails, liriopes can flourish. Foliage does well under shaded conditions, but blooms and fruit are diminished without sufficient sun. To get blooms from shade-planted liriopes, open up the shade to let in fuller sun, or move your liriopes to a sunny area.
When should liriope be divided?Ideally, the process of dividing liriope should be done in early spring before new growth has resumed. Due to the hardy nature of this plant, however, it is possible to successfully divide this plant later in the season.
Article first time published onHow do you use liriope for landscaping?
- Plant drought-tolerant and spreading Liriope spicata as a ground cover for hard-to-mow slopes or banks. …
- Brighten dry shade with a pool of variegated foliage using Liriope muscari. …
- Use liriope in locations with salt spray. …
- Create a transition zone between a pond, stream or pool with liriope.
Do you cut back Liriope muscari?
Variegated Lilyturf also known “Liriope Muscari” And that’s where the basic – and minimal – care comes in: Every Spring, before the new growth begins, simply prune them down to within a few inches of the ground. … Yes, that’s how easy it is to look after your Lilyturf plants!
How do you get weeds out of liriope?
- Wear safety glasses and eye protection when working with herbicides. …
- Remove the top from the garden sprayer. …
- Measure 2 ounces of glyphosate herbicide in a measuring cup. …
- Spray weeds early in the morning or when the wind is calm to reduce the potential for overspray onto the liriope.
Is Big Blue liriope invasive?
Liriope spicata is a low-growing perennial grass. It’s often used as a groundcover or as an edging for walkways and garden beds, but it’s aggressive and spreads fast. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t become invasive in your garden.
Can you mow over liriope?
Liriope (commonly referred to as monkey grass) is a clumping to spreading plant that is sometimes called a border grass. … You can mow them or leave them alone and they will remain small, compact plants.
What causes brown tips on liriope?
Anthracnose of liriope (Liriope muscari). Reddish-brown spots that appear along leaf margins and leaf tips are caused by a fungal disease known as anthracnose, which is caused by Colletotrichum species. … The fungus can remain over-winter in dead foliage.
How big do liriope get?
Liriope muscari, commonly called lilyturf or blue lily turf, is a tufted, tuberous-rooted, grass-like perennial which typically grows 12-18″ tall and features clumps of strap-like, arching, glossy, dark green leaves (to 1″ wide).
Why are the tips of my liriope turning yellow?
Liriope can yellow due to poorly drained soils, and they can bleach to a yellow-tan if they’re exposed to too much sunlight.
Do liriope like sun or shade?
Grow all types of liriope in full sun to partial shade, and in moist, well-drained soil. Established plants can grow in high heat, excessive humidity and drought-prone areas.
Why are my liriope dying?
A: Liriope is usually one of the toughest and most versatile landscape plants, but one problem can take it down – a disease called crown rot. It’s caused by a strain of the fungus (Phytopthora) that caused the great Irish potato famine of the mid-1800s and that still is a common threat to rhododendrons.
Do liriope come back every year?
In warmer climates with mild winters, it grow as an evergreen. However, in climates with cooler winters, liriope dies off in the fall. In either case, cutting back the foliage in the fall helps to improve next year’s growth cycle.
Do rabbits eat liriope?
A: Rabbits occasionally nibble young liriope, but once it’s had a year to grow and thicken, they usually let it alone. … You can try protecting it with a short fence or spraying a rabbit repellent on it the first season to give it a chance to grow.
Does Giant liriope spread?
Liriope muscari is the “clumping” kind that does not spread by runners and basically stays where you put it. It blooms purple, not white like spicata, but it shares all the good qualities of the spreading kind – incredible toughness and adaptability – without the invasive behavior.
What is giant liriope?
Liriope Muscari ‘Evergreen Giant’ is a moderate growing groundcover plant, ornamental grass and perennial plant that can be grown in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 6A through 10B. … In the summer Evergreen Giant Liriope produces violet and lavender flowers. The foliage is dark green in color.
How far apart should you plant liriope?
Plant each liriope about 1 foot apart, keeping in mind that L. spicata will spread, as it’s a creeping plant. It’s not necessary to divide the plants, though you can every three to four years.
Can you divide lily turf?
The best time to divide lily turf is in the early spring or fall. In the early spring, divide the plants just as their new growth begins. In the fall, cut the plants back first to keep the foliage under control while digging up the roots.
Where do you put liriope?
Variagated liriope is a deer-resistant, low-maintenance perennial. It can be grown in both sun and shade, but looks best in partial shade where its color is not diminished by lack of sunlight or washed out by an overabundance of it.
Is liriope and monkey grass the same thing?
Monkey grass is a groundcover that looks very similar to turf grass. It is the common name for liriope (Liriope muscari), but it is also referred to as border grass. In addition, monkey grass is oftentimes used as the common name for a similar plant, dwarf mondo grass (Ophiopogon japonicus).
Can you plant liriope in rocks?
This photo from the Land Run Monument in Oklahoma City, shows just how healthy and vibrant liriope plants can be when used in combination with rocks as a ground cover. … It can grown as a border plant or as a ground cover. Plant about 12-18″ apart in well tilled soil. Add organic matter to each hole.
Are liriope roots deep?
Liriope roots are shallow but very wide and dense. They can sometimes stretch out as far as the growth of the leaves but will usually stay in a dense bunch. Just give yourself enough room around the plant to dig and cause as little damage to the roots as possible.
How deep are liriope roots?
This plant spreads quickly by rhizomes and can invade adjacent turf areas or other ground cover beds. Therefore, this liriope may be best suited for planting in a bed surrounded by hardscape or confined with an edging (root barrier) that is 18 inches deep.