Mondo Grass Ophiopogon planiscapus
Other Common Name(s):
Other plants called Mondo Grass:
- 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'
- 'Kokuryu', 'Nigrescens'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Kokuryu'
- 'Nigrescens'
Black leaves, pink flowers, dwarf-6 inches tall
- 'Kokuryu'
- 'Kokuryu', 'Nigrescens'
- Tags:
-
-
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.
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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
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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
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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.
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-
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.
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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.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Stems are stoloniferous and are spread by runners.
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-
Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Pond
- Landscape Theme:
- Rain Garden
- Rock Garden
- Water Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Mass Planting
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Insect Pests
