Liriope muscari Silvery Sunproof

The Liriope 'Silvery Sunproof' is a particularly bright variety of Liriope muscari that will captivate with its beautiful variegated yellow foliage and long blue-violet flowering at the end of the season. Forming a dense clump of fine leaves that persist in winter, this plant slowly spreads to colonize the soil. The ground cover is adorned in summer with clusters of small bell-shaped flowers, visible among the foliage. Hardy and very resistant, capable of smothering 'weeds', this perennial makes a low-maintenance, decorative ground cover in all seasons. It will elegantly adorn the base of trees, borders of flower beds or pathways, including in dry shade.

The Liriope 'Silvery Sunproof' belongs to the family of Liliaceae (Asparagaceae), just like its wild ancestor native to temperate Southeast Asia (China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam). This herbaceous perennial with short and fibrous rhizomes is referred to as tufted, therefore non-invasive. Its stems are almost non-existent. Its growth is quite slow. It forms a dense bouquet of leaves, about 30 cm (12in) in all directions, slowly expanding to form large, attractive carpets throughout the year. Its leaves are quite flexible, slightly trailing, ribbon-like, lanceolate, measuring about 30 to 40 cm (12 to 16in) in length and 1 to 2 cm (0 to 1in) in width. They are glossy and particularly dark green, regularly marginated with yellow to cream. Flowering begins in August and can continue until October, depending on the climate. Floral stalks of a purplish colour, lower than the foliage, bear inflorescences at the top where numerous small round bell-shaped flowers of intense blue-violet are tightly packed. The nectar-rich flowering, visited by butterflies, is followed by the formation of small black, globose fruits.

The Liriope muscari Silvery Sunproof is an elegant and bright partial shade plant, accommodating, versatile, and very useful in a garden. Its great resistance to cold, summer drought, and shade allows it to be used in many situations: in light woodland, at the base of trees, as a border to emphasize the design of a pathway, in a rock garden with heathers for example, or in Japanese-style gardens. Combine this lovely variety with colourful heucheras or lady's mantle in moist soil, with small spring bulbs (snowdrops, muscari, botanical narcissus), or lilies in a border or rockery exposed to morning sun. It is also a plant that does very well in a pot, on a window or balcony. It is so accommodating that it will forgive watering neglect and thrive in gardens without gardeners or weekend gardens.