Variegated lilyturf
Liriope muscari 'Variegata' · Asparagaceae
Lilyturf with leaves striped in cream and green, and lavender flower spikes in late summer.
- Size
- 14 in tall, 16 in wide
- Zones
- 6 to 10
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Flowers
- Early August to mid September
- Pets
- No toxicity recorded
- Job in a bed
- Edging
A bed built around variegated lilyturf
The planner designed this bed around variegated lilyturf when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) cottage garden in zone 6, part sun. It chose the other plants from the 708 that suit those conditions, and says below why variegated lilyturf stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Variegated lilyturf × 12, lavender
- 2 Moor grass 'Greenlee' × 6, tan
- 3 Bloody cranesbill 'Max Frei' × 5, pink
- 4 Swamp milkweed 'Ice Ballet' × 3, white
- 5 Bellflower 'Kent Belle' × 3, purple
- 6 Inkberry 'Gem Box' × 1, dark green leaves
- 7 Grecian windflower × 12, blue
Why this plant
- The only lavender.
Why here
- In the middle. At 14 in it stands ahead of inkberry 'Gem Box' (2½ ft) without hiding it.
- A step in the back row. Next to swamp milkweed 'Ice Ballet' (3½ ft) and inkberry 'Gem Box' (2½ ft): no two neighbours there are the same height, so the back steps up and down like a skyline.
- 12 plants in 2 groups (9 and 3). Seen again further along, the same plant ties the bed together.
Why now
- In flower for six weeks. From early August to mid September.
- Closes the season. For its last three weeks nothing else on the plan is in flower.
- One of two evergreens. They are what the bed has to show from November to March.
Planned as a cottage garden: 21 of the 30 plants (70%), bulbs aside, stand alone or in groups of no more than five, small enough for the kinds to mingle. The longest in flower is moor grass 'Greenlee': 15 weeks, from mid May to late August. Lavender, pink, purple, blue, tan and white make a cool, restful scheme.
The planner's own design check: 12 Excellent, 5 Good. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where variegated lilyturf goes in a border
At 14 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is short (12 to 18 in).
Its job: edging. A low, neat plant used in short runs of three or five along the front to finish the edge (or, in a formal bed, in one even row).
Striped, grassy leaves at the front of a shady bed make a clean, light line all year. Set dark neighbours beside it.
- Bright edging for part shade
- Lighting up the ground under trees
- Containers
What to plant with variegated lilyturf
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Black mondo grass: its black leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after; low enough (8 in) to stand in front of it.
- Lenten rose: flowers first, late March to early May, so the spot is never empty; bold leaves against its medium ones; a low mound at the foot of its spires.
- Autumn fern: its dark green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after.
Questions about variegated lilyturf
Does variegated lilyturf need sun or shade?
Variegated 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) and part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning). 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 variegated lilyturf grow in?
USDA zones 6 to 10. It is hardy to zone 6, which means it survives winter nights down to about 0 °F (−18 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does variegated 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.
| Zone 6 | Early August to mid September |
|---|---|
| Zone 7 | Early August to mid September |
| Zone 8 | Early August to mid September |
| Zone 9 | Late July to mid September |
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 variegated 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 16 in (40 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 14 in (35 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many variegated 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 variegated 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 variegated lilyturf?
Variegated lilyturf comes from China, Taiwan, and Japan. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:
- Chives: the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers mid May to mid June, purple, not lavender.
- Coral bells 'Firefly': the same job in a bed; 4 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 variegated 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 variegated lilyturf?
Variegated 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.
- Pink muhly grass: from mid September to early November, 3 ft tall.
- October daphne: from mid September to late October, 8 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
What does variegated lilyturf look like in winter?
Variegated lilyturf keeps its variegated leaves all winter, so it is one of the plants that hold a bed together from November to March, when the perennials have gone.
More Liriope
- Creeping lilyturf Liriope spicata
- Lilyturf Liriope muscari
In these guides
- Plants for dry shade
- Plants for deep shade
- Salt-tolerant plants for roadsides and coasts
- Plants for slopes and banks
- Plants you can walk on
- Deer-resistant plants for shade
- Deer-resistant perennials for full sun
- Rabbit-resistant plants
- Drought-tolerant perennials for full sun
- Pet-safe plants for a sunny border
- Pet-safe plants for shade
- Evergreen perennials, ferns and grasses
- Plants with spires: vertical accents
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial
- Size
- 14 in (35 cm) tall, 16 in (40 cm) wide
- Plant
- 12 in (30 cm) apart
- Height class
- Short (12 to 18 in)
- Place in the bed
- Front
- Flowers
- Early August to mid September; upright spires; lavender
- Leaves
- Medium texture, evergreen; variegated
- Shape
- Arching, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 6 to 10
- Light
- Full sun, part sun, part shade
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Low
- Feeding
- None needed
- Family
- Asparagaceae
- Comes from
- China, Taiwan, and Japan
- Stands up to
- Deer, rabbits, drought, heat, humidity, salt, poor soil, deep shade, pollution, erosion, foot traffic
Checked against NC State Extension and ASPCA poison lists. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.