Big blue lilyturf

Big blue lilyturf: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Dense clumps that widen slowly, 30–35 cm tall and about 45 cm wide.

Leaves

Narrow, strap-shaped and leathery, dark green and glossy; evergreen.

Flower

Dense spikes of small, rounded flowers, from August to October.

Colour

Violet to lilac-purple; there are also white cultivars.

Fruit

Glossy black berries in autumn and winter.

Roots

Fibrous roots with small swellings here and there; the clump widens slowly and does not spread aggressively.

Flowering: August–October · Plants: March–May and September–October · Pruning: March

Why grow it?

• It flowers in autumn, from August to October, when many other plants have finished.
• Evergreen: a neat green edging or ground cover all year round.
• It grows in sun, partial shade and shade, even in dry shade.
• Bees and bumblebees still find nectar and pollen on it late in the season.
• It forms tidy clumps that do not spread: ideal as a border edging or along a path.
• Little work: cut back the old leaves once a year.

Big blue lilyturf: where does it grow best?

• Sun, partial shade or shade; in deep shade it flowers a little less.
• Light, free-draining soil: sand or loam, acid to neutral.
• Normal soil; once established it also copes with dry spells, but not with wet feet.
• Allow 30–40 cm between plants for a closed edging or ground cover.

Light

Sun, partial shade and shade

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Moisture

Normal

Size

0.35 m tall, 0.45 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -20 °C)

Goes well with

• Ivy-leaved cyclamen: Pink flowers in September–October, even in dry shade under trees.
• Ferns: Fine green fronds beside the narrow, dark leaves.
• Barrenwort: An evergreen ground cover for the same dry shade.
• Japanese anemone: Tall pink or white flowers in late summer behind the low clumps.
• Hosta: Large leaves beside the narrow clumps, in partial shade.

Big blue lilyturf: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–May and September–October.

1. Plant from March to May or in September–October, when the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
2. Loosen the soil and mix in some compost, and on heavy soil some coarse sand.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in the pot.
4. Keep 30–40 cm between plants; as an edging along a path, 30 cm is enough.
5. Water straight away and regularly in dry spells during the first year.
6. A thin layer of leaf mould around the plants keeps the soil moist until the clumps join up.

Care

Watering

In the first year, in dry spells; after that only during long droughts.

Feeding

A thin layer of compost or a little organic fertiliser in April.

Old leaves

Cut the old leaves short in March, before the new leaves appear.

Spent flowers

Leave the spikes: the black berries look good in winter. Cut them off in March together with the leaves.

Dividing

Not necessary, but large clumps can be divided in spring when the centre becomes bare.

Tip: Cut the old leaves short in March, before the new leaves appear: the clump stays fresh, without brown tips. In dry shade, water regularly in the first year until it is well rooted.

Big blue lilyturf: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March.

When: In March, before the new leaves appear, cut the old leaves short.

How:

• Cut the old leaves back to 5–10 cm above the ground, with hedge shears or sharp secateurs.
• Do not wait too long: if the new leaf tips are already showing, you cut them too and they stay visibly damaged.
• Cut away the old flower spikes and berries at the same time.
• A large area can also be mown in March with a lawnmower on its highest setting.

Caution: Do not cut back in autumn: the old leaves protect the plant in winter.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

In March–April, lift the clump and divide it into pieces that each have a few shoots and roots. Replant at once and water well.

Seed

In autumn, clean the seed from the black berries and sow it in a pot. It germinates slowly; division is quicker.

Big blue lilyturf: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −20 °C.

• Hardy to about −20 °C: no problem in most Belgian winters.
• In hard frost the leaves may turn brown; cut them off in March and the plant will shoot again.
• In a pot: stand the pot against a sheltered wall and wrap it up in hard frost.

Diseases and pests

• Slugs: They eat the young leaves in spring. Pick them off or set a beer trap.
• Brown leaves: After a hard winter or from drying winds. Cut the old leaves off in March.
• Leaf spot: Reddish- or yellowish-brown spots on the leaves, especially in damp weather. Cut off affected leaves and avoid watering over the foliage.
• Root rot: Yellow, limp clumps in wet, heavy soil. Plant in a better-drained spot.

Through the year

• March: Cut the old leaves short before new growth appears. Add compost. Divide.
• April: Plant or divide. Watch for slugs.
• May: Plant. Water in dry spells.
• July: Water in dry spells.
• August: Flowering begins.
• September: Full flower. Bees visit. Plant.
• October: End of flowering. Plant.
• November: Black berries. Leave the leaves and spikes.
• December: Evergreen leaves and berries.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• Despite its name and look, lilyturf is not a grass: it belongs to the asparagus family, like hostas and lily of the valley.
• The species name muscari refers to the flower spikes, which look like those of the grape hyacinth (Muscari).
• The genus is named after Liriope, a water nymph in Greek mythology and the mother of Narcissus.