Liriope muscari Okina - Lily turf

Liriope muscari 'Okina' is a particularly elegant form of Liriope muscari due to its young, very light, almost white, glossy leaves with silver highlights. Blended with older, dark green leaves, they form an unusual clump, very bright in the shade. Its slender, fairly dark violet flower spikes enhance the charm of this small perennial plant. Over time, this Liriope forms dense clumps that spread and cover the ground, suffocating "weeds". It is even decorative in winter and once established, it can tolerate summer drought. Liriope thrives at the base of deciduous trees and shrubs, along borders or pathways, but also in containers and flower pots.

The 'Okina' Liriope belongs to the Liliaceae or Asparagaceae family, depending on the classification. It comes from the typical Liriope muscari, native to temperate Southeast Asia (China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam). This herbaceous perennial with short, fibrous rhizomes forms clumps, so it is not invasive, and its stems are almost non-existent. It forms a cluster of leaves, 40 cm (16in) high, slowly spreading to form large, dense carpets which are attractive throughout the year. Its leaves are quite flexible, slightly trailing and ribbon-like, approximately 30 to 40 cm (12 to 16in) long and 1 cm (0in) wide. They are glossy, and their colour gradually changes from white to light grey and then green over time. The overall vegetation is stunningly composed of leaves at different stages of colouration. The flowering period is between July and late September or early October, depending on the climate, on short floral spikes that emerge from the foliage. They take the form of 30-40 cm (12-16in) high spikes, just slightly taller than the foliage, but numerous, with tiny round bell-shaped, deep violet flowers. The nectar-rich flowers are visited by butterflies and followed by quite decorative, round, shiny black fruits.

Liriope is a versatile, elegant, and accommodating plant that will be useful in any garden. Its great resistance to cold, drought, competing roots and not too dense shade means it can be used in many situations: in light woodland, at the base of trees, along borders to highlight the design of a pathway, in Japanese-style gardens, and even in a dry garden in a Mediterranean zone. Combine this 'Okina' variety with the 'Monroe White' variety with white stems and flowers, with 'Nigrescens Ophiopogon', with small spring bulbs (snowdrops, muscari, botanical narcissus), or with small cyclamens in a border or a rockery exposed to morning sun. It also grows very well in large pots, on a terrace or balcony. It is so accommodating that it will forgive if you forget to water and thrive in neglected or weekend gardens.