When to Plant Liriope in Texas

Fall Planting

• Fall is the preferred time to plant liriope, as the plants will have time to become established before the spring growing season. October is ideal, but in central and southern parts of Texas, if the weather remains mild, you can plant liriope in November or even early December. Liriope is is perennial to U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone 5 and evergreen above zone 7.

Spring Planting

• If fall planting isn't in the cards, liriope can be planted in spring. After the last frost of winter, get liriope in the ground as soon in spring as you can. If you push planting until late spring, pick a cool, cloudy day or plant in morning or evening. You can even plant liriope in summer, but you'll really have to keep an eye on moisture levels. The soil should be damp down to the base of the root ball.

Planting Liriope

• Whatever the season, basic planting practices will help your liriope thrive. Choose a planting location with full sun to partial shade with well-drained soil. In Texas, liriope does quite well in fairly shady areas. Prepare your planting bed by adding 4 inches of organic matter or compost to the soil, mixing well. Plant the ground cover to the top of the root ball. After planting, add 1 to 2 inches of mulch. Add additional mulch throughout the year, since it gradually breaks down into the soil.

Selecting Liriope

• Before choosing a liriope cultivar for your garden, you might want to be aware of the different habits of various types. The area in which you're going to place the plant is important, because some liriope varities clump, while others spread by runners and can be quite invasive. If you're looking to add liriope to a garden as a specimen selection, you'll likely want the clumping form (Liriope muscari), characterized by purple booms and often used for edging. If you have a well-bounded patch you would like filled in by the ground cover, you might consider a running type (Liriope spicata), which blooms white.