Liriope muscari 'Okina'

Liriope 'Okina' is a very cool selection of the clumping monkey grass that came to us from famed Japanese nurseryman Akira Shibamichi in 1996, and subsequently introduced to US commerce by Plant Delights Nursery in 2002. In spring, the top 75% of each leaf is pure white. As Liriope 'Okina' matures through the growing season, the white becomes speckled with green flecks, eventually changing to flecked light green by fall (the coloration will hold better in cooler climates). In late summer, the clumps are topped with the typical stalks of lilac flowers. Liriope 'Okina' is truly a stunning plant that will stop visitors in their tracks!

Maintenance:

Liriope requires very little maintenance. Liriope foliage is usually handsome all year long. Its showy flowers are most welcome in the late summer/earliest fall garden. Though it is standard practice to cut the foliage back before spring this is not an absolute necessity. Certainly do so if the foliage has become shabby. It is highly advisable to do this by late winter before tender new shoots start developing so the new shoots are not damaged during this clean up work. It is also highly recommended that this removal of old foliage is done in late winter and not in fall or early winter for a cut back plant is not a thing of beauty and postponing cutback to late winter means that there will be shorter time before the cut back foliage is replaced by new. Cutting back old foliage is not required by the plant but benefits only the tidy minded gardener.

Growing Conditions:

Monkey grass is happiest in shade. It will tolerate sun but its foliage will be yellow and shabby if exposed to too much hot sun. It requires only average soil, average moisture and drainage. Clumps do not require division, at least not for many years, but can be divided if one wanted additional plants.

Natural Impacts:

Liriope muscari is a handsome evergreen presence in the shade garden. Its late summer flowers a touch of color and freshness when there are few other plants blooming in the shade garden. Extensive research has proven that monkey grass does not need to be planted in lines bordering sidewalks and similar structures, and can instead be planted individually or in freeform masses. 'Okina's white new foliage is quite dramatic in the shade garden, a color display that lasts for months, far longer than most floral displays.