Liriope, often called lilyturf or monkey grass, is widely valued in landscaping as a resilient ornamental groundcover. Although tough, its fibrous foliage and root structure do not make it immune to all herbivores. Various animals, ranging from large grazing mammals to tiny subterranean pests, consume different parts of the plant, especially when other food sources become scarce. Understanding which animals view Liriope as a food source is key to protecting plantings.
Mammals That Graze Liriope Foliage
The most visible consumers of Liriope are medium to large-sized mammals that target the above-ground foliage and flower spikes. Deer are opportunistic feeders that browse on the leaves, particularly when tender new growth is available in late winter or early spring. Damage from deer appears as jagged or torn leaves, as they lack lower incisors and rip the plant material rather than clipping it cleanly. This browsing usually targets the upper portions of the foliage.
Rabbits prefer to feed closer to the ground where the leaves are easily accessible. They possess sharp incisors that enable them to make clean, precise cuts on the leaves and young shoots. This feeding often results in the foliage being clipped down to within an inch or two of the soil surface. Both deer and rabbits will turn to Liriope when environmental pressures, such as drought, limit their usual diet.
Rodents and Pests That Target the Root System
Small rodents that attack Liriope below the soil line are among the most destructive pests, often leading to the sudden collapse of a plant clump. Voles are mouse-like herbivores that gnaw on the plant’s fleshy roots and tubers, utilizing them as a source of stored water and nutrients. Their feeding can girdle the plant just below the soil surface, resulting in dead foliage that can be lifted out of the ground easily. Voles create shallow runways beneath the mulch or grass, often connecting to small, surface entrance holes about an inch and a half in diameter.
Gophers also pose a significant subterranean threat, favoring roots and bulbs while excavating their tunnel systems. These larger rodents are capable of pulling entire Liriope clumps down into their burrows to consume them underground. Evidence of gophers includes fan-shaped mounds of soil, which contrast with the less obvious surface runways created by voles. The damage caused by both rodents is severe because the entire root mass is destroyed, preventing the plant from recovering.
Invertebrates and Localized Chewing Pests
Tiny, moisture-loving invertebrates also contribute to Liriope foliage damage, leaving behind distinct, localized patterns. Slugs and snails are nocturnal feeders that thrive in the moist, dense environment created by Liriope’s growth habit and mulch layers. They use a rasping mouthpart called a radula to graze on the leaves, chewing irregular, ragged holes. The presence of a silvery, dried mucus trail on the leaves or surrounding soil is a definitive sign of their activity.
Other microscopic pests, such as scale insects, suck the sap from the plant tissues rather than chewing the foliage. These insects attach themselves to the leaves, and their feeding causes yellow spotting or discoloration on the upper leaf surface as the plant’s vascular system is depleted.
Decoding Damage: Identifying the Animal by Feeding Pattern
A simple examination of the damage can often differentiate between the various consumers and help pinpoint the culprit. If the leaves are severed with a precise, clean cut within a few inches of the ground, the evidence points toward the sharp incisors of a rabbit. Conversely, if the damage is to the upper leaves and appears ragged, torn, or ripped, the browsing pattern is consistent with a deer.
Subterranean pests leave behind evidence in the soil structure and the plant’s stability. The presence of small, open holes or visible surface runways in the mulch or ground cover suggests vole activity. The most telling sign of root-feeding rodents is when a clump of Liriope foliage shows sudden dieback and can be easily pulled from the soil. Ragged holes in the leaves accompanied by a shiny, dried residue should lead the investigation toward slugs or snails.