Silverlawn™ Liriope

Silverlawn Liriope (Liriope muscari) is a variegated liriope with fine cream and green striped leaves that read as silver from a few metres away. It forms a tidy clump about 35cm high and 40cm wide, grows in anything from full sun to heavy shade, and tolerates frost and drought once established, which is why Ozbreed lists it for every state and territory. Planted in a group against dark foliage it lifts a shaded bed like few other plants can.

Why you'll love it

• Silver from a distance. The cream and green striping blends to a pale silvery sheen that brightens dark corners and contrasts with green and burgundy foliage.
• Sun or deep shade. Few plants take full sun and heavy shade equally well; this one does, so a single planting can run a bed from the open edge to under the eaves.
• Frost and drought tolerant. Established clumps take frost without marking and ride out dry spells.
• Late summer flowers. Like other forms of Liriope muscari it sends up short spikes of small purple flowers above the foliage in late summer.
• One job a year. Cut the old foliage back in winter and it does the rest.

Where it works best

Group plantings and mass planting. Plant 35cm apart (six to ten a square metre) in blocks of five or more; a single variegated plant looks lost, a group looks designed.

Colour contrast and accents. Use it as a pale band in front of dark leafed shrubs, along a shaded path or at the base of a wall where the silver catches the eye.

Borders in shade. In a single row 30cm apart it edges a shaded path or driveway where grasses that need sun would thin out.

Growing Silverlawn Liriope in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to heavy shade. Ozbreed lists it for New South Wales, the ACT, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory, which covers tropical, subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and arid or semi arid gardens. In hot inland sun the variegation holds best with some afternoon shade.

Soil. A wide range of soils, from sand to clay, provided it is not permanently waterlogged. Plant with the crown at the surface and mulch with a chunky mulch.

Water and feed. Water as required for the first 8 to 13 weeks, then only in extended dry weather. A slow release fertiliser in spring is optional.

Pruning. Cut the whole clump back close to the ground once a year in winter; the fresh spring growth is cleaner and brighter than the leaves it replaces.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Silverlawn Liriope as tube stock, the economical way to plant a group or a border. Tubes are small, so plant them at the final spacing and give them two seasons to reach their 35cm by 40cm size; they establish fastest in warm soil and travel well with the leaves intact.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full liriope range
• See the full Ozbreed range
• More grasses and strappy leaf plants
• Our Liriope muscari growing guide

Common questions

Is this the same plant as Silverstar?

Yes. Ozbreed previously sold this liriope as Silverstar and renamed it Silverlawn; the plant itself has not changed.

Will it grow under trees?

Yes. Heavy shade is within its range, and dry shade under established trees is one of its best uses once it has been watered through the first season.

How often do I cut it back?

Once a year in winter. Cut the old foliage close to the ground before the new growth starts.