Seasonal Wild Flowers

Latin name

Liriope muscari

Other names

Big Blue Lilyturf, Border Grass and Monkey Grass

Family

Asparagaceae

Flowering season

August to November

English distribution

The escape is found mainly around Greater London

For a map see the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland –

Lilyturf

Habitat

It is a neophyte introduced from East Asia and is grown

in the UK in flower borders and as ground cover.

It has escaped from cultivation and become naturalised

in a few places.

In the US it is invasive and is considered a nuisance.

The roots and tubers are used in Chinese medicine.

Description

Lilyturf is a clump-forming, spreading, stoloniferous

perennial growing up to 45cm.

The flowers are on spikes rising above the clumps.

They have 6 tepals, 3 outer and 3 inner, which are

various shades of purple and occasionally white.

There are 6 stamens with yellow anthers and white

filaments.

There is a single style with small stigmas.

The fruit is a persistent black berry (not shown).

The leaves are grass-like, dark green and arching.

The root system is fibrous with tubers.

The flower spikes look like those of an enlarged

Garden Grape-hyacinth,

hence the Latin name. They often don’t open,but

even when closed, they are still attractive.