Plant DetailShow Menu

Ophiopogon planiscapus is often confused with:
Crocus Crocus
Liriope muscari Form in bloom
Ophiopogon japonicus Ophiopogon japonicus
Plants that fill a similar niche:
Hosta Hosta spp.
Impatiens walleriana Impatiens walleriana
Viola sororia Viola papilionacea
Ophiopogon planiscapus has some common insect problems:
Fern Scale Insect

Ophiopogon planiscapus

Common Name(s):

Phonetic Spelling
oh-fee-oh-POH-gon plan-ih-SKAY-pus
Description

Mondo Grass is an ornamental grass in the asparagus family. It is an evergreen groundcover that grows up to 8-12 inches tall and is tufted. This plant blooms in the summer and has large racemes that are crowded with showy flowers held well above the foliage, which contrasts well with nearly black leaves. This evergreen groundcover spreads slowly and has some daughter plants that revert to green.

Plant in fertile, moist, slightly acidic well-drained soils in the part sun to part shade. It prefers a consistently moist environment. Use in borders, as edging, a groundcover or along stream and pond edges.

Relatively pest-free.

Quick ID Hints:

  • Thin, grasslike, purple-black linear leaves
  • Mounding groundcover up to 12" tall
See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • 'Kokuryu'
  • 'Nigrescens'
    Black leaves, pink flowers, dwarf-6 inches tall
'Kokuryu', 'Nigrescens'
Tags:
#purple#white flowers#purple flowers#shade garden#mass planting#showy fruits#pond margins#blue fruits#border planting#grass-like#fantz#border front
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • 'Kokuryu'
  • 'Nigrescens'
    Black leaves, pink flowers, dwarf-6 inches tall
'Kokuryu', 'Nigrescens'
Tags:
#purple#white flowers#purple flowers#shade garden#mass planting#showy fruits#pond margins#blue fruits#border planting#grass-like#fantz#border front
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Ophiopogon
    Species:
    planiscapus
    Family:
    Asparagaceae
    Life Cycle:
    Perennial
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Division
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Japan
    Dimensions:
    Height: 0 ft. 8 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.
    Width: 0 ft. 8 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Ground Cover
    Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Broadleaf Evergreen
    Habit/Form:
    Clumping
    Spreading
    Growth Rate:
    Slow
    Maintenance:
    Low
    Medium
    Texture:
    Fine
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
    Soil Texture:
    High Organic Matter
    Loam (Silt)
    Soil pH:
    Acid (<6.0)
    Neutral (6.0-8.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Moist
    Available Space To Plant:
    Less than 12 inches
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Mountains
    Piedmont
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Color:
    Blue
    Display/Harvest Time:
    Fall
    Fruit Type:
    Berry
    Fruit Length:
    < 1 inch
    Fruit Width:
    < 1 inch
    Fruit Description:
    Fruits are blue globose berries that are less than an inch in size.
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Purple/Lavender
    White
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Raceme
    Flower Value To Gardener:
    Showy
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Summer
    Flower Shape:
    Bell
    Flower Description:
    The epithet planiscapus means 'flattened scape' and refers to the flattened flower-stalk. White tinted with lilac bell-shaped flowers appear mid-summer on a raceme that is 2.5" in size.
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Broadleaf Evergreen
    Leaf Color:
    Black
    Purple/Lavender
    Leaf Type:
    Simple
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Rosulate
    Leaf Shape:
    Linear
    Leaf Margin:
    Entire
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    > 6 inches
    Leaf Width:
    < 1 inch
    Leaf Description:
    Leaves are simple, entire, linear, less than an inch wide, 14" long, and black to purple-black in color.
  • Stem:
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Description:
    Stems are stoloniferous and are spread by runners.
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Container
    Pond
    Landscape Theme:
    Rain Garden
    Rock Garden
    Water Garden
    Design Feature:
    Border
    Mass Planting
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Insect Pests