Is mondo grass a true grass?

No. Ophiopogon planiscapus is filed in the asparagus family, Asparagaceae, by GBIF and the RHS, and the NC State toolbox calls it a member of the asparagus family. It is a clumping perennial with grass-like leaves.

How big does Ophiopogon planiscapus grow?

The RHS gives 0.1 to 0.5 m high and wide, and HortFlora a clump up to 50 cm high. Its leaves are 20 to 30 cm long, by the RHS.

Does mondo grass grow in shade?

HortFlora says it is grown in light to heavy shade, and the RHS gives full sun or part shade. The RHS wants the soil moist but well-drained, slightly acid and humus-rich.

Is Ophiopogon planiscapus native to Australia?

No. The RHS gives its range as central and southern Japan, HortFlora as Japan.

What colour are the flowers and berries?

HortFlora gives the flowers white to pale violet-purple, to 8 mm across, in summer, and dull blue seeds; the RHS describes small pale purplish-white flowers followed by fleshy blue-black berries.

What is the difference between mondo grass and black mondo grass?

Black mondo grass is the form 'Nigrescens', with leaves HortFlora describes as dark purplish-black and flowers it gives as pink. The species' leaves are dark green, by the RHS.

Ophiopogon planiscapus

No grower lists this plant right now

Mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus) is a slowly spreading, clumping evergreen perennial from central and southern Japan, spreading from a rhizome into dense tufts of narrow, leathery, arching leaves 20 to 30 cm long. The RHS gives it 0.1 to 0.5 m high and wide, and HortFlora up to 50 cm. Small pale bells come in summer, followed by blue-black berries. It is not a grass: the references file it in the asparagus family.

Illustration of mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus): a dense tuft of narrow, leathery, arching dark green leaves, a raceme of small pale violet-white flowers on a slender stalk among the leaves, and a few blue-black berries — Mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus), leaves, flowers and berries

Type: Evergreen perennial
Height: 0.1 m to 0.5 m
Spread: 0.1 m to 0.5 m
Flowers: White, summer
Sun: Full sun or part shade by the RHS; light to heavy shade by HortFlora
In Australia: Not native

Growing mondo grass

Position. The RHS gives full sun or part shade; HortFlora, the horticultural flora of south-eastern Australia, says it is grown as a garden ornamental or indoor plant in light to heavy shade. Neither gives an Australian climate zone. The RHS rates it H5, a British scale, not an Australian one, and no reference read gives a frost figure in degrees for Australia.

Soil and water. The RHS asks for moist but well-drained, slightly acid, fertile, humus-rich soil. No reference read gives a drought rating.

Care. The RHS says no pruning is required, finds it generally disease-free and notes that slugs may damage it; that is a British observation.

Propagation. By division in spring as growth resumes, or from seed sown as soon as ripe, by the RHS.

A note on the North Carolina State Extension entry. Its page for this species describes nearly black, purple-black leaves, which HortFlora and the RHS's own profile for 'Nigrescens' give for the black-leaved form, and white flowers tinted lilac, held well above the foliage. Its figures may therefore be the black form's, and they are given here as that page's only, apart from the meaning of the name, planiscapus, which it gives as 'flattened scape', the flattened flower stalk: slow growth, part sun to part shade, a consistently moist soil, relatively pest-free, and uses in borders, edging, mass planting and along pond and stream edges.

Using mondo grass

The RHS lists mondo grass for ground cover, garden edging, flower borders and beds, rock and gravel gardens, city and courtyard gardens, containers and underplanting roses and shrubs, and it names coastal gardens among its planting locations. The NC State page, which may describe the black form (see above), adds mass planting and the edges of ponds and streams. The black-leaved form, black mondo grass, has a page of its own. No reference read gives a planting distance for a groundcover.

What to check before you buy

Mondo grass is listed both as the green species and as its black-leaved form, and the two are different plants to look at, so check which a grower lists before comparing prices. The table above shows the sizes growers list; the guide to nursery pot sizes sets out the size ladder. What to look for in the roots and crown before stock leaves the grower is in the guide to nursery plant quality. If the stock crosses a state border, the state and territory biosecurity rules on moving plants and soil apply to this plant like any other.

Used forgroundcover pots and courtyards

Prices are set by each grower and shown ex GST. Availability is confirmed by the grower at order.

Common questions

Is mondo grass a true grass?: No. Ophiopogon planiscapus is filed in the asparagus family, Asparagaceae, by GBIF and the RHS, and the NC State toolbox calls it a member of the asparagus family. It is a clumping perennial with grass-like leaves.
How big does Ophiopogon planiscapus grow?: The RHS gives 0.1 to 0.5 m high and wide, and HortFlora a clump up to 50 cm high. Its leaves are 20 to 30 cm long, by the RHS.
Does mondo grass grow in shade?: HortFlora says it is grown in light to heavy shade, and the RHS gives full sun or part shade. The RHS wants the soil moist but well-drained, slightly acid and humus-rich.
Is Ophiopogon planiscapus native to Australia?: No. The RHS gives its range as central and southern Japan, HortFlora as Japan.
What colour are the flowers and berries?: HortFlora gives the flowers white to pale violet-purple, to 8 mm across, in summer, and dull blue seeds; the RHS describes small pale purplish-white flowers followed by fleshy blue-black berries.
What is the difference between mondo grass and black mondo grass?: Black mondo grass is the form 'Nigrescens', with leaves HortFlora describes as dark purplish-black and flowers it gives as pink. The species' leaves are dark green, by the RHS.

Sources

GBIF species match API
HortFlora, the Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia (Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria): Ophiopogon planiscapus
Australian Plant Census (APC), the National Species List: search for Ophiopogon planiscapus
Royal Horticultural Society, plant finder: Ophiopogon planiscapus
North Carolina State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Ophiopogon planiscapus
The HortOS guides (nursery pot sizes; judging nursery plant quality)
Royal Horticultural Society, plant finder: Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens'

The growers, sizes and prices above are live and change as lists arrive. Cite this page: HortOS, Mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus), https://au.hortosapp.com/plants/ophiopogon-planiscapus.

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