Herb: Lilyturf


Latin name: Liriope muscari


Synonyms: Liriope platyphylla


Family: Convallariaceae



Medicinal use of Lilyturf:

The root is antiinflammatory, antiallergic, aphrodisiac, pectoral and stimulant. It is used as a tonic in Korea to increase stamina and also as an expectorant.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Perennial

Height:
30 cm
(11 3/4 inch)

Flowering:
September
to October

Habitat of the herb:

Forests, bamboo forests, scrub, shady and moist places in ravines and on slopes at elevations of 100 - 1400 (occasionally to 2000) metres.

Edible parts of Lilyturf:

Root - cooked. Candied and used medicinally. The roots sometimes have a fleshy, tuberous part near their tip.

Other uses of the herb:

A good drought tolerant evergreen ground cover plant. Rather slow to spread though, needing weeding for the first year or two. Plants should be spaced about 30cm apart each way.

Propagation of Lilyturf:

Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing it in a cold frame or greenhouse as soon as the seed is ripe if possible, if not then sowing the stored seed in early spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in spring. Very easy, the larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.

Cultivation of the herb:

Forests, bamboo forests, scrub, shady and moist places in ravines and on slopes at elevations of 100 - 1400 (occasionally to 2000) metres.

Known hazards of Liriope muscari:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.