Samantha Liriope

Samantha Liriope (Liriope muscari 'Samantha') is the pink flowered version of the strappy border plant most Australian gardens already rely on. It forms a neat clump about 50cm tall and wide, sends up soft pink flower spikes in late summer, and holds its shape all year with almost no attention. It is also safe around cats and dogs, which matters for a plant that lines the paths they use.

Why you'll love it

• Pink instead of purple. The same reliable liriope habit with soft pink spikes, which sits far better against warm brick and sandstone.
• Pet friendly. Not toxic to cats or dogs, so it is a sound choice at path level in a household with animals.
• It stays put. A clumping liriope, not a running one, so the line you plant is the line you keep.
• Tough across the country. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, salt tolerant and content in poor soil, from tropical gardens through to cool temperate ones. Evergreen, with no staking or spraying.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Plant 40cm apart for a continuous border. The clumps touch within a season and give a soft green kerb along a path, driveway or bed.

Mass planting and groundcover. The same 40cm spacing across a bed covers ground under trees and between shrubs, including the dry shade that defeats most groundcovers.

Pots and small gardens. Three plants fill a 400mm pot, and at 50cm it suits courtyards and balconies where a larger strappy plant would dominate.

Growing Samantha Liriope in Australia

Position and climate. Partial shade is ideal, though it takes full sun in cooler and coastal gardens and full shade beneath established trees. It suits tropical, subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, so nearly the whole country, and it is frost hardy once established.

Soil. Undemanding. Poor, sandy and clay soils all work provided water does not sit. Improve heavy ground with compost at planting and mulch 50mm deep between the clumps.

Water and feed. Water twice a week through the first summer to settle the roots, after which it is genuinely drought tolerant. A slow release fertiliser in early spring keeps the foliage colour strong and improves flowering.

Pruning. Optional. If a planting looks tired after a hard winter, shear the whole run back to about 10cm in early spring and it reshoots quickly. Otherwise just pull browned leaves out by hand.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes in three sizes: tube, 140mm in packs of ten and 200mm in packs of six. Tube stock is the value choice for a long border and fills out within two seasons. The 140mm and 200mm plants are established clumps that read as a finished edge much sooner. The 200mm pack is currently grown to order, so allow time for it to be prepared before dispatch.

Liriope travels about as well as any plant we send, so expect a few bent leaves and nothing more. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Growing and using Liriope muscari in the landscape
• Compare the grasses and strappy leaf range.
• Prefer a smaller clump? Liriope 'Just Right' stays at 40cm with purple spikes.
• Planting a whole bed: browse the mass planting range.

Common questions

How many plants do I need per metre?

At 40cm spacing, allow between two and three plants for every metre of border. A pack of ten therefore covers roughly 4m of edging.

Is it safe if my dog chews it?

Yes. Liriope is not toxic to cats or dogs, which makes it one of the safer choices for a border an animal brushes past every day.

Will it flower in shade?

It grows happily in full shade, but the pink spikes are lighter there. Partial shade gives you good foliage and a proper flush of flowers.

How is it different from the common purple liriope?

Habit and toughness are much the same. The difference is flower colour, soft pink rather than the usual purple, which changes how it sits against warm toned paving and brick.