Summer Beauty Liriope

Summer Beauty Liriope (Liriope muscari 'Summer Beauty') is a clumping perennial with glossy, strappy green leaves, growing about 30cm tall and 40cm wide. Abundant lilac purple flower spikes appear in spring and summer, and this form can flower from tube stock size. It makes a tough edging, groundcover and weed suppressor for sun or part shade.

Why you'll love it

• Quick to flower. It can bloom from tube stock size, so you see colour sooner than with many liriopes.
• Big flower spikes. Abundant lilac purple spikes stand over broad, glossy leaves through spring and summer.
• Sun or part shade. It grows in full sun to part shade, and fills the awkward spots under trees where little else will.
• Tough and forgiving. It tolerates dry periods and frosts once established.
• Weed suppression. Dense clumps knit together and keep weeds from taking hold.

Where it works best

Edging and borders. Plant 35cm apart along paths and bed fronts. At that spacing the clumps meet in a continuous, flowering line.

Mass planting and under trees. Use it to carpet shaded or semi shaded ground. The same 35cm spacing closes up and suppresses weeds.

Mixed beds and containers. Its tidy clump works as a filler between shrubs and as a pot plant on a patio.

Growing Summer Beauty Liriope in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade. It flowers best with some sun, though it also copes with fairly deep shade. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and tolerates frost.

Soil. Moist, well draining soil rich in organic matter is ideal. Dig in compost at planting to get it away quickly.

Water and feed. Mulch and water well while it establishes. It then tolerates periods of dryness. Feed with a controlled release fertiliser after flowering for best results.

Pruning. Trim the whole clump once a year, before new growth appears in late winter or early spring, to remove tired leaves and tidy the plant.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Summer Beauty Liriope as tube stock, a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly, and in 140mm pots in packs of 10. Tubes are the value choice for edging or mass planting, while the 140mm pots arrive fuller and close up a border sooner. Because it flowers young, you may see spikes in the first season.

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

• How to grow and care for liriope
• Browse the full liriope range
• More plants for partial shade
• The best groundcovers for shade

Common questions

How far apart should I plant Summer Beauty?

About 35cm apart for edging or mass planting. That lets the clumps meet at their mature 40cm width and leaves no gaps for weeds.

When should I cut it back?

Once a year, before new growth appears. Trim the old leaves to tidy the clump so the fresh growth and flower spikes show.

Will it grow in shade?

Yes, it copes with shade and does best in full sun to part shade. Flowering is lighter in deep shade.