Gardening books recommend these East Asian, shade-tolerant border plants because the 10-inch clumps of vegetation “don’t creep”—that is, invade surrounding areas. And for 15 years, those plants maintained a neat border that separated my lawn from a hill stabilized with English ivy. Four years ago, something changed. A few clumps of two or three spindly liriope leaves sprouted in the lawn. By last summer, hundreds of clumps were infesting the property—in some cases, up to 50 feet from the liriope border.
This “is a classic example of invasive ecology,” observes Mike Maunder, horticulture director of the Fairchild Tropical Garden in Miami. “Many species will sit absolutely blameless for decades—and then, ping!, they explode all over the place.”
This “is a classic example of invasive ecology,” observes Mike Maunder, horticulture director of the Fairchild Tropical Garden in Miami. “Many species will sit absolutely blameless for decades—and then, ping!, they explode all over the place.”
