Mondo Grass

Ophiopogon japonicus

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 6a-11 Find Your Zone

Plant Type: Evergreen Groundcover

Height or Length at Maturity: 12-15″

Width at Maturity: 12″ or more
Spacing: 6-12″ apart for mass plantings

Growth Habit / Form: Clumping, Dense, Spreading

Growth Rate: Moderate

Flower Color: Lavender
Flower Type: Single

Flower Size: Tiny
Flowering Period: Summer

Fragrant Flowers: No

Foliage Color: Very Dark Green

Fragrant Foliage: No

Berries: No

Sun Needs: Morning Sun, Part Shade or Shade – Avoid planting in areas with Afternoon Sun

Water Needs: Average, low when established

Soil Type: Clay, Loam, Sand, Silt

Soil Drainage: Well Drained

Soil pH: 5.5 – 6.5

Maintenance / Care: Very Low

Attracts:

Resistances: Deer, Disease, Drought, Heat, Heavy Shade, Insect

Description

A first-class ground cover or accent plant, depending on spacing, Mondo Grass forms a very low maintenance lush mound or carpet of very dark green grass-like foliage in shady to partially shaded sites. It is similar in appearance to Liriope but with much thinner blades that provide a softer texture. Short spikes of lilac flowers are nestled in the foliage and, for the most part, are inconspicuous. Excellent for mass plantings or as a solo or accent in container gardens.

Landscape & Garden Uses

Growing about 12 inches tall and wide, Mondo Grass is ideal for use as an accent, in grouping or mass planted as a groundcover in shady to partially shaded home foundation plantings and landscape borders. Perfect for use as an underplanting for small trees such as Japanese Maples or as a groundcover under large shade trees. Also nice as a solo or combined with other plants in pots, planters and other containers. A fine addition to Asian gardens, rock gardens, shade gardens and ornamental grass gardens.

Suggested Spacing: 6 inches for quick fill; 8 to 12 inches if you have a little patience; 24 inches for space between plants

How To Measure Total Square Feet Of A Planting Area

How Many Plants Needed To Cover A Planting Area?

Note: For our customers who live and garden north of USDA Hardiness Zone 5a, where Mondo Grass is not reliably winter hardy, you’ll be happy to know it can be grown in containers that can be brought indoors during winter and placed back outside when temperatures warm up in spring.

Growing Preferences

Mondo Grass is very easy to grow in most any moist but well-drained soil of average fertility and part shade to full shade. Morning sun is okay but foliage may fade to a lighter shade of green when exposed to direct afternoon sun. Filtered all day sun is okay. Constantly soggy or wet soils can be problematic, though temporary flooding won’t harm the plant. Can be sheared or mowed annually but we rarely touch it.

Helpful Articles

Click on a link below to find helpful advice from our experts on how to plant and care for Mondo grass.

How To Plant Mondo Grass Plants

How To Fertilize, Prune & Water Mondo Grass Plants

How To Measure Square Feet of A Planting Area

Determining How Many Plants To Fill A Planting Area

Plant Long & Prosper!

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