Liriope 'Big Blue' is a dependable evergreen groundcover prized for its fountain like tufts of grassy foliage and upright spikes of violet purple blooms that appear from late summer into fall. This clump forming perennial spreads slowly by underground rhizomes and maintains its structure through winter providing year round interest in shaded or sunlit gardens alike.
Height & Spread: 12 - 18 in x 12 - 24 in
Bloom Time: Late summer to fall
Light Requirements: Full sun to part shade
Soil Preference: Moist but well drained soil
Watering Needs: Low to moderate once established
Deer Resistance: Rarely browsed by deer due to tough fibrous foliage
Native Status
Liriope muscari is native to East Asia. 'Big Blue' is a cultivated variety bred for vigorous clumping habit and prominent flower spikes. It is not native to North America.
WILDLIFE & INSECTS
Bees
- Attracts late season pollinators including honeybees and small native bees such as Halictid sweat bees.
Butterflies
- Visited occasionally by fall flying butterflies such as Painted Ladies and Pearl Crescents seeking nectar.
Birds
- Dense foliage provides shelter for ground foraging birds such as thrushes and sparrows during migration season.
Spacing & Landscape Use
Spacing Recommendations:
- Space plants 12 - 18 in apart for quick coverage without overcrowding.
Landscape Placement:
- Effective as a front border edging, underplanting beneath trees, or for massing along walkways and driveways in sun or shade.
Companion Plants
- Polygonatum odoratum 'Variegatum' - Graceful arching stems and cream edged leaves add elegance to shaded plantings beside liriope.
- Heuchera villosa 'Autumn Bride' - Bright chartreuse foliage and fall blooming white wands complement the late season interest of liriope.
- Carex oshimensis 'Evergold' - Soft arching golden edged blades play well with liriope’s bolder form and color.
- Ajuga reptans 'Black Scallop' - Dark low growing foliage offers textural contrast and forms a dense mat to suppress weeds.
- Hosta 'Halcyon' - Powdery blue foliage contrasts vividly with the upright purple flowers of 'Big Blue'.