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Lilyturf and River oats: growing conditions and wildlife benefits.

COMMON CHOICE Lilyturf Liriope muscari	NATIVE ALTERNATIVE River oats Chasmanthium latifolium
	GO NATIVE
Native range
China, Taiwan, and Japan	Central and eastern United States into northeastern MexicoSee state guides
Sunlight
Sun to full shade	Part sun & shade
Soil moisture
Average moisture; tolerates dryness once established	Moist to wet / Average moisture
Mature height
1–1½ ft	2–5 ft
Mature spread
1–1½ ft	1–2½ ft
USDA hardiness zones
5–10	5–9
Season of interest
Late summer flowers; evergreen foliage	Summer–fall
Garden & wildlife value
No specific food or host-plant benefit listed in the source profile.	Leaves feed native skipper and pearly-eye caterpillars, and the nodding seeds feed birds.
Growing notes
Forms dense clumps. This is lilyturf, not the more aggressively running Liriope spicata.	For moist woodland edges and streamside gardens; reseeds readily and can overwhelm a small bed. Taller than a lilyturf edging.
Growing information	Growing information

Sizes describe the species; individual cultivars can differ.