Lilyturf

Questions about lilyturf

Does lilyturf need sun or shade?

Lilyturf grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day), part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun), part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning) and shade (less than 2 hours of direct sun, or bright dappled light). It is one of the few that also put up with deep shade.

It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.

What zones does lilyturf grow in?

USDA zones 5 to 10. It is hardy to zone 5, which means it survives winter nights down to about −10 °F (−23 °C).

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does lilyturf flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers early August to mid September. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should lilyturf be planted?

12 in (30 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 18 in (45 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 16 in (40 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many lilyturf plants do I need?

At 12 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 12 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 11 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 38 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as runs of three or five along the front (or one even row, in a formal bed).

In the bed above, the planner used 12 in two groups.

Is lilyturf poisonous to dogs and cats?

No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension and the ASPCA.

"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.

Is there a native plant like lilyturf?

Lilyturf comes from China, Taiwan, and Japan. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:

• Chives: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers mid May to mid June, fine leaves, not medium.
• Coral bells 'Firefly': the same job in a bed; 6 in shorter, flowers late May to late July.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat lilyturf?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer and rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

What flowers after lilyturf?

Lilyturf is over by mid September. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Garden chrysanthemum: from mid September to late October, 24 in tall.
• October daphne: from mid September to late October, 8 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Meadow saffron: from mid September to mid October, 6 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.

What does lilyturf look like in winter?

Lilyturf keeps its dark green leaves all winter, so it is one of the plants that hold a bed together from November to March, when the perennials have gone.