Images Depict Mature Plants
Mondo Grass
Ophiopogon japonicus
This easy-to-grow perennial is ideal for adding texture to the garden and makes a great substitute for Liriope. Spikes of Lilac flowers appear in summer to add soft contrast to the dark foliage.
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Mondo Grass for Sale Online
Ophiopogon japonicus or Mondo Grass creates attractive clumps of dark green, grass-like leaves that make a beautiful groundcover or low border.
A simple, no-fuss ground cover, Mondo Grass performs well in the shadiest of locations. This gracefully arcing perennial prefers part to full shade, and does not have a flower but produces a small berry that appears on a little stalk. Mondo Grass can handle anywhere from part to full shade, and could even be put inside in terrariums or as a houseplant in low light conditions. Mondo Grass can be cut like a regular lawn but holds its shape and structure with little to no care. The arching leaves look beautiful as a border or edging, and can be effectively used as a groundcover.
| Hardiness Zone: | 6-11 |
|---|---|
| Mature Height: | 6 to 10 Inches |
| Mature Width: | 24+ Inches |
| Classification: | Groundcover, spreading |
| Flower Color: | None |
| Flowering Season: | None |
| Foliage: | Green |
| Soil Condition: | Prefers dry, average to sandy soil |
| Water Requirements: | Water well until established |
| Uses: | Extremely attractive when used as a focal point as a border, mass planting |
How to Care for Mondo Grass
Before you buy Mondo Grass, make sure to read about the recommended care instructions to keep this plant healthy and thriving.
How do I plant Mondo Grass?
We suggest when planting your newly purchased Mondo Grass plants that you dig a hole twice as wide as the root system but not deeper. Depending on the quality of your existing soil you may need to add a locally sourced compost or topsoil to the back-fill soil. We do not recommend using straight topsoil or compost as a back-fill soil because more times than not these products will retain entirely to much moisture and will cause the root system to rot. Adding compost or topsoil will help the young feeder roots to spread through the loose, nutrient-rich soil, much easier than if you used solely the existing soil which more times than not will be hard and compacted. The most common cause of plant death after transplanting is planting the new plant to deep. That is why we do not recommend planting in a hole any deeper than the soil line of the plant in the pot. A good rule is that you should still be able to see the soil the plant was grown in after back-filling the hole.
How do I fertilize Mondo Grass?
Feeding your plants is probably the single most forgotten part of growing healthy long lasting plants. We recommend feeding your Mondo Grass in the very early spring and again in mid-summer after all new growth has hardened off. Bio-tone starter fertilizer is the best product to use at the time of planting. Our ideal fertilizer schedule for you to use is as follows. Apply an early spring fertilizer with a product at the recommended rate this will give the plant like Espoma Plant Tone, which will give a boost of nitrogen and potash that will be needed for healthy foliage and stem growth. Follow this up with another early summer application of Espoma Plant Tone, this will again provide the necessary nutrients to promote a flush of beautiful flowers. Espoma products are easy to use, just sprinkle around the base of the plant and water it in. Be careful with products such as miracle-grow as these products can burn newly planted plants when not used at the recommended rates. Slow-release fertilizer can help prevent rapid soft growth that is vulnerable to diseases and insects.
How do I water Mondo Grass?
After backfilling and lightly compacting the 50/50 mix of existing soil and compost give your Mondo Grass a good deep watering. This is not to be rushed. Most of the water you put on the plant at first will run away from the plant until the soil is soaked. A general rule of thumb is to count to 5 for every one gallon of pot size. For example, a one-gallon pot would be watered until you count to 5 a three-gallon pot would be 15 and so on. Check the plant daily for the first week or so and then every other day thereafter. Water using the counting method for the first few weeks.
How do I mulch Mondo Grass?
We highly recommend that you mulch your Mondo Grass with either a ground hardwood mulch or a ground cypress mulch depending on your local availability. Any type of mulch will do but cypress or hardwood mulch will be of a higher quality and provide better nutrition overall as they break down. Mulching helps to keep weeds away which will compete with your new investment for water and nutrients. A 2 to 3-inch layer of mulch is sufficient but remember to take care not to cover any part of the stem of the plant with mulch. It's better to leave a one-inch gap of space between the mulch and the stem or base of the plant.
