Groundcover
Big Blue Liriope
Liriope muscari 'Big Blue' · Asparagaceae
Also called: Lilyturf, Big Blue Lilyturf, Monkey Grass, Border Grass
Big Blue Liriope (Liriope muscari 'Big Blue') is a moderate-water groundcover well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It's a moderate-growing groundcover.
Big Blue Liriope at a glance
- Water use
- Moderate (established)
- Sun
- Partial shade to filtered light in Tucson; tolerates morning sun but needs afternoon shade. Full reflected desert sun scorches and bleaches the leaves.
- Mature size
- 12-18 in tall and wide; clumping (does not run invasively like creeping liriope).
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Bloom
- Violet-purple flower spikes above the foliage; followed by blackish berries, Late summer into fall (Aug-Oct).
- Cold hardiness
- USDA 6-10; very cold hardy, so winter is not limiting in Tucson. Evergreen but foliage may brown after hard frost - shear in spring.
- Soil
- Adaptable; prefers well-drained soil amended with organic matter. Tolerates alkaline desert soil but can show chlorosis.
- Native range
- East Asia (China, Japan, Korea); cultivar of clumping lilyturf
- Best used as
- Shaded groundcover and mass planting, Border and walkway edging, Underplanting beneath trees and on the north/east side of buildings, Erosion control on shaded slopes
- Wildlife
- Purple flower spikes attract bees; berries occasionally eaten by birds.
- Toxicity
- Low toxicity; berries may cause mild stomach upset in pets if eaten. Generally considered safe.
How to grow Big Blue Liriope in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Moderate, regular water; keep soil moist but not soggy. Water every 4-7 days in summer heat, less in winter. More drought tolerant than mondo grass once established but not a low-water plant here.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Feed with a balanced or slow-release fertilizer in early spring; apply chelated iron if leaves yellow from alkaline-soil chlorosis.
Pruning & care
Mow or shear off old foliage to about 3 in in late winter before new growth emerges to keep it tidy. Divide overgrown clumps in spring or fall.
Notes
Clumping (non-spreading) lilyturf - tougher and showier than dwarf mondo grass, with grassy strappy foliage and purple late-season bloom. Reliable in Tucson only in shaded, irrigated locations; not for open reflected-sun exposures. A practical lawn-edge and shade-bed plant.
Sources: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension; Pima County Master Gardeners; Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder