UT Gardens Plant of the Month for June 2014:
Golden
monkey grass
Submitted by Carol
Reese, UT Extension horticulture specialist, Western Region
Promoting a monkey grass for plant of the month? Seriously?
Well, this is no ordinary ground cover. Liriope
muscari 'PeeDee Ingot' has luminous golden foliage that elevates monkey
grass to an art form. Individual clumps will average a bit more than a foot tall
and eventually twice that wide, but never become aggressive.
The tousled mounds provide a burst of color and grassy texture, particularly
effective near blue or purple flowers or dark foliaged companions. While PeeDee
Ingot will thrive in shade as well as sun, the gold color will dim when
deprived of sunlight. On the other hand, a site too bright and dry will bleach
or sear the foliage. For best display, look for the happy medium.
Like most liriope, the foliage stays effective through the winter, though will
be bedraggled by winter's end. At that time, give it a drastic crew cut and
fresh foliage will quickly emerge. In mid to late summer, linear stalks of
small lilac-blue flowers add another layer of interest.
Easily grown in Zones 6-10, this long-lived perennial is notably free of
problems. Only poorly drained soil would give it trouble. As a bonus, clumps
can be dug and divided to increase your golden treasure.
Several nice specimens can be found in the beds just north of the parking lot
at the UT Gardens, Jackson, and should be in perfect form during the gardens
annual Summer Celebration, held each year on the second Thursday in July. For
more information about the Summer Celebration visit the website west.tennessee.edu
Carol
Reese is the Western Region Ornamental Horticulture Specialist for University
of Tennessee Extension. Her office is located in the West Tennessee AgResearch
and Education Center in Jackson. The UT Gardens include
plant collections located in Knoxville, Jackson and Crossville. Designated as
the official botanical garden for the State of Tennessee, the collections are
part of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. Their mission is
to foster appreciation, education and stewardship of plants through garden
displays, educational programs and research trials. The gardens are open during
all seasons and free to the public. See utgardens.tennessee.edu for more information.
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Contact:
Carol Reese, UT Extension, 731-425-4767, jreese5@utk.edu
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