Liriope ‘Royal Purple’

Liriope 'Royal Purple' (Liriope muscari 'Royal Purple') is the strappy border plant that succeeds where most things fail. It forms a neat evergreen clump about 40cm tall and 40cm wide, dark green and always tidy, and in late summer it sends up spikes of deep purple flowers. It takes full sun or deep shade, which is why landscapers use it so heavily.

Why you'll love it

• It grows where lawn gives up. Dry shade under established trees is its speciality, including the root packed ground beneath figs and gums.
• Sun or shade, tropical to cool temperate. Few plants cover that much of the country, so it works from Cairns to the southern highlands.
• Flowers as well as foliage. Deep purple spikes stand above the leaves through late summer and autumn, followed by small black berries.
• One job a year. Frost hardy, drought tolerant and happy in poor soil, it asks for a single shear in late winter and nothing else.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Plant 30cm apart for a continuous border. At that spacing the clumps meet within a season and the line stays even, without the bare gaps a wider spacing leaves.

Mass planting and groundcover. Under trees or across a difficult slope, 30cm spacing gives complete cover that suppresses weeds and never needs mowing.

Pots and small gardens. A clump reads well in a narrow courtyard bed or a trough, and it will not outgrow the space the way most strappy plants do.

Growing Liriope 'Royal Purple' in Australia

Position and climate. Anything from full sun to full shade works. Half a day of sun gives the best balance of dense foliage and heavy flowering; in deep shade you get good leaves and fewer spikes. It suits cool temperate through to tropical gardens, and it is frost hardy.

Soil. Poor soil is fine and it copes with clay better than most, provided water does not pool. Compost through the bed at planting pays off, and 50mm of mulch keeps weeds down while the clumps close.

Water and feed. Water twice a week through the first summer, then only in extended dry spells once the clumps have rooted. A complete slow release fertiliser in early spring is enough for the year.

Pruning. Shear the whole planting back to about 10cm in late winter, before new growth starts, and it regrows fresh within weeks. Divide crowded clumps every three or four years to keep them vigorous.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes as tube stock, 140mm pots in packs of 10 and 200mm pots in packs of 6. Tubes are the value choice for a long border, and liriope establishes so readily that they catch up to bigger stock within a season. The 140mm and 200mm plants are already multi crowned and give an immediate result. Some sizes run on backorder in peak season, so check availability before ordering.

Plants travel with the leaves bundled and may look creased on arrival, which is normal and grows out. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read our guide to growing and using Liriope muscari.
• Compare the full range of grasses and strappy leaf plants.
• See other mass planting options for large beds.
• Read about planting under established trees.

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

Thirty centimetres apart for a border or mass planting. That closes into continuous cover in one season and still leaves each clump room to fill out properly.

Will it grow in full shade?

Yes, and it is one of the few flowering plants that will. Expect thick healthy foliage and noticeably fewer flower spikes than the same plant in half sun.

Does it spread and become a problem?

No. It clumps slowly from the crown rather than running underground, so it stays where you put it. That makes it easier to manage than mondo grass in a mixed bed.