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Ophiopogon japonicus

COMMON NAMES

Mondo Grass, Dwarf Lily Turf

Ophiopogon (oh-fee-oh-POE-gone) – Greek for snake’s beard

japonicus (jah-PON-ih-cuss) – Japanese

GROUP 

Monocot

FAMILY 

Some taxonomists put in Liliaceae and others put in Asparagaceae and still others have put in Ruscaceae.

ORIGIN

China, Japan, India, Southeast Asia

DESCRIPTION

Mondo Grass is an evergreen herbaceous grass-like perennial that averages 10 to 12 inches in height. It is a dense groundcover, clump-forming, and it spreads by rhizomes. It has a slow growth rate.

Leaves are evergreen, linear-shaped, simple, 9 to 12 inches long and 1/8 inch wide with entire margins, and dark green in color. It has parallel veins.

The whitish/purple flowers are inconspicuous, about 3/16 inch long, and are borne on short scapes lower than the leaves. It blooms in the summertime.

Fruit small, fleshy, round, dark blue/black berries.

HARDINESS

It is hardy in USDA Zones 7 to 11, down to 10 to 15 degrees F. Some have grown in zone 6 with protection.

LIGHT

It prefers part shade, especially in hotter areas; it will tolerate full shade.

SALT

Good Salt Spray Tolerance – it will grow near the shore but will benefit from a little protection such as behind the first row of plantings or behind the first dunes.

SOIL

It prefers a fertile, well-drained soil in the pH range of 5.5 to 6.5, but it will grow on a wide variety of other soils. It doesn’t like overly wet soils.

WATERING

It has moderate drought tolerance once established, so some water is needed for survival in dry spells. As with most plants, though, ample irrigation in droughts keeps it healthier and looking better.                                     

PROPAGATION

Division of clumps

PRUNING                                                                            

Little pruning is required other than an occasional tidying up of older clumps.

FERTILIZING

It has no special fertilizer needs. Unless a soil test suggests otherwise, a slow-release balanced analysis fertilizer applied per the product label will work.

PESTS

Scale - University of California

DISEASES

Pythium Root Rot - Purdue University

DEER

Resistant

There are very few totally “deer-proof” plants. There are also, relatively speaking, few plants that are considered a preferred food supply of deer. Most plants fall in the big gap between. One of the biggest variables is the available preferred food supply in a given area. If their preferred food is scarce, they will munch on most anything.

OTHER

USES

Groundcover, containers, mass planting, borders/edges

TOXICITY

A search of California Poison Control, ASPCA, Texas A&M University, Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System, University of Wisconsin, Poisonous Houseplants and Ornamentals - Merck Vet Manual, Purdue University - Guide to Toxic Plants in Forages, Poisonous Plants of the Southeastern United States - Alabama Cooperative Extension, Florida Poison Control, University of California, and The Cat Fanciers Association did not show this plant on any of their lists.