Purple Explosion Liriope

Liriope, or lily turf, is a popular groundcover, but often it doesn’t flower well, with just a few scattered spikes. That is, unless you grow Purple Explosion™ Liriope, which greets summer with a literal explosion of blooms, sending up a profusion of 8-inch flower spikes, covered with rich violet flowers. Not just a few blooms, but up to 200 flowers on each spike, keeping this plant in bloom for weeks, from late summer right to the end of fall. What a bright way to end the garden season! Of course it isn’t just about flowers, because this plant quickly develops into a dense mat of narrow arching leaves of deep green, crowding out any weeds and looking great year-round. In zones 5 and 6 the foliage dies in winter, to re-emerge in spring, but in warmer areas it is essentially evergreen. Thriving in all light conditions, this great little plant is just what you want when faced with those empty spaces beneath large shrubs, or for edging your beds along a path or around a lawn.

• Produces more flowers than any other Liriope
• Violet flower spiked from late summer to late fall
• Grows well everywhere, from full sun to full shade
• Rich green foliage is evergreen in all but the coldest zones
• Drought tolerant and reliable even in dry shade

Purple Explosion™ Liriope is evergreen from zone 7, and can also be grown in zones 5 and 6, where the foliage will be more-or-less deciduous. This remarkable plant is just as happy in full sun as it is in full shade, and grows in just about any well-drained soil. Once established it is very drought tolerant too, making it a good choice for dry shade. Deer won’t eat it and it normally has no pests or diseases. To keep it very neat and fresh all year, cut back the foliage to ground level in late winter – don’t leave it too long into spring or there will be new leaves mixed with the old, making trimming difficult. Of course, if you don’t want a perfect garden, the plant won’t mind at all if you never even trim it.