Lilyturf
This is an evergreen, clump forming, perennial in the garden which is much used and admired for its strap shaped curving black leaves. It is a rhizomatous plant and grows only to 6-8in in height with a spread of perhaps double this. While this is principally a low growing foliage groundcover plant for rockeries or the edges of a border it does have flowers! These are borne in upright racemes of purplish-white flowers followed by spherical fleshy blue-black fruits.
O. planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’ can be used effectively underneath a specimen plant in a pot or in larger planters to give colour variation. They look great in pots in the greenhouse or even in a window box.
These plants can be grown in full sun or partial shade but the leaf colouration may sometimes fade a bit to dark green in shade. Mulching in spring helps to feed them and they enjoy improved soils with the addition of loam. In the greenhouse a summer liquid fertiliser feed will encourage more growth and flowering.
The ripe seeds can be sown as soon as they are ripe in a container in the cold frame. Otherwise these plants can be gently divided in the spring as growth commences.
