Learn the way to Plant, Develop, and Handle Ophiopogon Japonicus

In case you’re looking out for a grass-like, care-free ground cowl which will add texture to your panorama, then look no extra than this well-liked evergreen grass, Ophiopogon japonicus, usually usually known as mondo grass. Mondo grass originated in Japan and China and is known as the traditional ground cowl of many Japanese gardens.

This ornamental grass is just like black mondo grass, and in actuality, it’s a direct relative. Whereas black mondo grass is darkish and spooky-looking, the dwarf lilyturf, or just mondo grass, is a wonderful delicate inexperienced hue and seems good as an accent ground cowl.

Technically not a grass the least bit (it’s further intently related to the lily than to most grass species), it’s a wonderful species that’s able to cope with points that the majority crops can’t stand – like rising beneath black walnut bushes as a result of it’s juglone-resistant. It may really moreover cope with deeply shaded areas, is proof against salt, and is deer- and rabbit-resistant.

A most well-liked evergreen species, it’d in all probability moreover take full photo voltaic conditions and might produce white to lilac flowers if it’s joyful ample. These flowers are tiny, nonetheless they sort in clusters alongside the aspect of the leaves and their bloom stands out from the narrow-bladed leaves. These flowers may even bear fruit which is ready to sort as a tiny, vivid blue berry on the bottom of the foliage. 

Overview

Plant Sort Ornamental grass, lilyturf Species Ophiopogon japonicus	Native Area China, Japan, Korea Publicity Full photo voltaic to partial shade Peak 6-15”, dwarf varieties 3-4” Watering Requirements Widespread	Pests & Diseases Slugs, snails, fungal factors, root rot

What’s Ophiopogon Japonicus?

There are two types of Ophiopogon japonicus: a daily type and a dwarf type. The standard type very merely spreads by means of stolons, which is an above-ground runner. This makes it a beautiful different for a giant house that you just need to cowl like a shady house the place typical turf grasses don’t develop as properly.

The dwarf type does not unfold this vogue and grows in dense tufts. This makes it easier to handle and better suited to borders or filling in areas between pavers inside the yard.

Native Area

As talked about above this grass-like evergreen originated in Japan and China and is known by many widespread names equal to mondo grass, dwarf lilyturf, dwarf mondo grass, Japanese lilyturf, snake’s beard, and monkey grass. 

Traits

Mondo grass could also be acknowledged by its attractive evergreen foliage which appears as darkish green-blue strap-shaped leaves. The flowers are small with six petals and the flower color ranges from white to pale lilac flowers. It may usually bloom in early summer season. This ground cowl is an evergreen which will keep inexperienced and develop year-round though its progress may gradual inside the winter. This makes a beautiful low-maintenance border plant as it’d in all probability survive anyplace from full photo voltaic to shady areas.

It does produce small cobalt blue berries that are not toxic. Nonetheless, there are no acknowledged culinary makes use of for them. The berries look like blue variations of asparagus berries, which is wise on account of this plant is inside the Asparagaceae family, which is similar family of crops as widespread asparagus.

Learn the way to Develop

Mondo grass is low to medium maintenance and with the subsequent requirements met, you will get pleasure from its evergreen strap leaves together with texture to your panorama by way of summer season and winter. Most of the time, you’ll even uncover it to be care-free.

Mild

Mondo grass can tolerate full photo voltaic to full shade, although the easiest web site for this grass may be partial shade. In sunny areas, the foliage will fade to a lighter inexperienced, whereas shifting this plant to shady areas will perform the darkish inexperienced leaves.

Water

As with most crops grown in hotter climates, the perfect time of day to water is inside the morning so that the moisture has a possibility to soak into the soil sooner than the heat of the day can evaporate it. Nonetheless, in case you’ve missed this window of different then the second-best alternative is to water it inside the night time.

Take care to stay away from wetting the foliage as this will likely more and more set off fungal factors. Because of their small measurement and low progress profile, it is best to water this plant with a drip irrigation system. As quickly as established, these crops are drought-tolerant and might survive the heat with out so much consideration. It’s increased to underwater comparatively than overwater these crops as they’re moreover weak to root rot. Throughout the winter, as their progress slows, reduce the amount of moisture. 

Soil

This typical ground cowl can survive in numerous soil kinds and will even be grown hydroponically. This makes it an superior alternative for a border spherical a pond as properly. It has moreover been observed at large subject pet retailers being supplied as an underwater aquatic plant, nonetheless that is not advisable for this plant. It may survive totally submerged for plenty of weeks after which finally die as its not an aquatic. This plant prefers barely acidic to neutral soil with a pH of 5.5-7.

It could be grown in containers as properly as long as they’re stuffed with well-draining soil. It does notably properly on slopes as water drains away from the roots.

Temperature

Ophiopogon japonicus is delicate to frost. A light-weight-weight frost may set off damage that it’d in all probability get properly from, nonetheless a tricky frost will severely set your crops once more. For that purpose, rising this plant in USDA hardiness zone 6-10 will assure its survival. 

Fertilizing

One different aspect that makes mondo grass low maintenance is the reality that it doesn’t require any fertilizing the least bit. In case you need to give it a carry, then a primary dressing of compost in early spring is perhaps ample. In another case, it survives merely very good in plenty of soil kinds and circumstances as long as the soil is well-draining. 

Repairs

Pruning should not be compulsory for this plant. It may develop until it reaches its mature peak after which give consideration to roots, flower manufacturing, and unfold. In distinction to standard turf grasses, it does not must be mowed and will tolerate delicate foot website guests. You’ll solely ever have to remove ineffective or damaged foliage. 

Propagation

It is best to propagate Ophiopogon japonicus by division. In early spring dig up a clump of mondo grass and tease apart the roots until you might have plenty of sections. Replant each half with on the very least four-inch spacing and so they’ll finally unfold to fill inside the gaps.

Mondo grass might be grown from seed, nonetheless this plant may very well be very gradual rising so it ought to take a while to get a viable transplant when rising from seed. 

Widespread Points

As talked about, mondo grass may very well be very low maintenance, shade-loving, evergreen, deer-resistant, and a perfect border plant. There aren’t many pest and sickness factors with this plant, nonetheless there are some issues for which to keep up a watch fastened out. 

Rising Points

Heat could also be an issue for these lily turfs, notably mirrored heat from partitions, walkways, and the like. Metropolis gardening could also be stuffed with pitfalls of this type in and spherical yard beds or containers. Due to this, it’s advisable in the midst of the summer season months to supply {{a partially}} shaded location away from exhausting scapes which will take up and radiate heat from the photo voltaic. Sustaining the soil moist all through scorching local weather might help your crops cope with a bit further heat. Shade materials arching over beds may additionally help reduce warmth in gardens the place these are planted.

Pests

Mondo grass is rabbit and deer-resistant. Nonetheless, slugs and snails have been acknowledged to munch on the leaves typically. In case you see holes inside the leaves and they also appear to wilt, then this may be an indicator that slugs or snails are present. Visually study the leaves. If in case you’ve gotten chickens, this can be a probability to set them unfastened in your mondo grass for some tasty treats. For these of us with no yard flock, the easiest plan of motion is a slug and snail bait. There are pure baits constituted of iron phosphate which might be protected to utilize spherical wildlife, people, and pets. 

Diseases

Fungal illnesses like anthracnose can affect these shade-loving ground covers. This is usually a fungal sickness that usually appears in the midst of the chilly and moist early spring in areas with extreme humidity. It causes leaf spots, cupping, or curling of the leaves and leaf drop. The simplest preventative measure may very well be to verify there could also be good air circulation spherical your crops. After a lilyturf is severely contaminated it’s most interesting to remove and destroy it to keep up the fungal an an infection from spreading to completely different lilyturfs. Mild infections could also be dealt with with a copper fungicide.

Mondo grass is weak to root rot introduced on by pythium fungal strains that develop in overly-moist conditions. Since this plant is comparatively drought-tolerant, it’s increased to underwater it than overwater it and hazard root rot factors. Root rot is hard to reverse if it has already progressed too far. If the plant appears brown and mushy on the bottom then this may be a sign of it creating. Once more off on watering and let on the very least the best inch of soil throughout the roots dry out totally sooner than watering as soon as extra. 

Constantly Requested Questions