Mondo Grass Care Guide: How to Grow Mondo Grass

Mondo grass (Ophiopogon japonicus) is a verdant groundcover plant that grows well in full shade and partial shade. With enough moisture, it can even thrive in full sun. Mondo grass is not a true grass but rather a relative of the lily. The species has a tuberous root system and horizontal stems called stolons that allow the plant to expand beneath the soil. This results in clumping above the surface.

Mondo grass is evergreen year-round in warm climates. In cooler areas, new growth begins in early spring. The species grows very slowly. As such, it is a low-maintenance species that requires very little mowing. Mondo grass produces lilac-colored and white flowers in the summer, which are followed by the emergence of deep blue berries.

Mondo grass comes in a number of varieties, including black mondo grass like Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’, variegated mondo grass like Ophiopogon jaburan ‘Vittatus’, and dwarf mondo grass like Ophiopogon japonicus ‘Nana’. None of these varieties grow quickly, but they can nonetheless thrive in a variety of conditions.

There are a few key factors to keep in mind when growing mondo grass.

1. 1. Hardiness: Mondo grass does best in USDA zones six through ten, all of which feature long growing seasons. When well-watered, some species can even survive in the hardiness zone eleven.
2. 2. Spacing: Plant mondo grass plugs four to twelve inches apart. You can plant individual plugs closer when you’re using mondo grass as an edging plant and farther apart for mass plantings and larger areas.
3. 3. Soil: Mondo grass can grow in a variety of soil types, but the most important factor is that the soil drains well.
4. 4. Watering: New plants should be watered regularly—at least a few times a week—to help them establish roots. Eventually, you can water mature mondo grass plants once per week. The species is not known for being drought-tolerant.

Mondo grass care tends to be quite easy to grow, whether you are using mondo grass as an edging plant, in rock gardens, or for general landscaping.

1. 1. Keep the soil moist. Outdoor mondo grass needs moist soil in its first growing season, which helps it establish a root system. From that point onward, mondo grass is known for being an easy-care plant. Water approximately once per week in the absence of natural rainfall.
2. 2. Prune mondo grass annually. Trim back dead foliage in the early spring to allow for new growth and add mulch for water retention if needed.
3. 3. Avoid stepping on mondo grass. Mondo grass can handle a moderate amount of foot traffic, but take care that the plant does not get trampled.
4. 4. Keep indoor plants regularly watered. Mondo grass can also make intriguing houseplants thanks to its long blades and radiant flower colors. Indoor mondo grass typically receives less sunlight and thus needs less water in most cases, but keep the soil regularly watered to prevent it from drying out.

Monkey grass (Liriope), also known by the common name lilyturf, is an ornamental grass that resembles mondo grass but is in fact a different species. Monkey grass grows in thicker clumps than mondo grass and has longer, wider blades. Mondo grass blades range from three to twelve inches long, while monkey grass blades tend to be ten to fifteen inches long.

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