Ophiopogon Varieties
If you are looking for an easy care ornamental grass, then Mondo Grass could be the answer. It requires no mowing, grows well in part shade and maintenance is minimal.
Mondo Grass, Dwarf Mondo Grass and Black Mondo Grass are all popular with landscapers for use as border plants. Wholesale growers offer a number of varieties including low growing and dark foliage types.
A relatively drought resistant plant once established and popular with landscapers and gardeners alike Mondo Grass is low growing and requires little or no maintenance.
Reaching around 10cm to 30cm depending on cultivar and conditions it grows well in full sun to dapples shade and makes an excellent plant to grow between pavers in a pathway.
These grasses are ‘Ophiopogon’ species, and are used widely as a border in landscaping applications. Dwarf Mondo Grass or ‘Ophiopogon japonica’ is popular in garden beds as a filler between other plantings. Available for sale online, usually as smaller plants or plugs, this is an excellent way to buy large enough quantities to plant out a large area.
Varieties
With a number of varieties available for sale, choices can be made in height as well as in foliage color.
- Ophiopogan Planiscapus Nigrescens is the black mondo grass, it can make a dramatic statement in landscaping.
- Ophiopogan Jaburan is also known as the ‘Giant Mondo Grass’ and is generally available from wholesale growers in two forms.
- Ophiopogan jaburan – With strap like leaves to around 60cm in height and flower spikes to above this. Foliage is a mid to deep green.
- Ophiopogan jaburan variegata – Variegated foliage, mid green striped with silver. Also sold as Ophiopogan jaburan ‘silver’.
Available from nurseries, small plants are sold in pack of 12 to 24, these established clumps are economical however not the cheapest way to buy plants. Larger plants in pots will establish an area more quickly.
Black Mondo grass Ophiopogon-planiscapus-‘Nigrescens’ is used extensively as a feature border, with its black strap like foliage it looks great as a contrast plant. Mondo grass is suitable for use between pavers or as a border, try the Giant Mondo Grass Ophiopogon jaburan.
How many Ophiopogon plants per metre ?
When you are purchasing mondo grass it is available as established clumps or as single plants. If you are looking at spacing for Mondo Grass it will depend on the variety and if you are buying plugs (sprigs) or pots. The cheapest way is to buy plugs and space them at around 20 cm apart. This will take time to fill in, so you can mulch in between in the meantime.
For faster establishment, these smaller plants will need to purchased at 300 per square metre for mass planting. For linear or edge planting, single row, look at 30 plants per metre. These single plants are the cheapest way to establish a larger area.
Remember that Mondo grass will spread. It spreads slowly by underground rhizomes or runners, so over time it can cover a large areas fairly densely.
Care
Mondo Grass or Ophiopogon is a hardy drought tolerant clump forming grass. Care of mondo grass is simple, the main problem being frosts. Mondo grass does not need pruning and does not require a lot in terms of fertilizer.
Landscaping Uses
Used in landscaping as an edging plant, in mass plantings as an ornamental ground cover and as a foil for hardscaping materials of stone and paver’s.
Flowers are small white bell shaped followed by blue berries. This is a grass that can be grown in containers
Also useful to soften the edges of retaining walls and as a liner for areas between buildings and pathways.
Also useful for growing beneath trees where it seems to be able to establish itself and compete with the tree roots and relatively dry conditions.
Mondo Grass is available for sale from the following Growers
601 Sunnyholt Road Parklea NSW 2768
Parklea Pots and Plants are affordable, open 7 days and have everything you need for your garden - of any size!. Pots, plants, water features, fruit trees, hedging, potting mix and more.
Opening hours 7 days a week from 8:30am to 5pm
www.potsandplants.com.au
Online and Retail Melbourne and Geelong based garden centres. Check out their large range of indoor and outdoor plants, Australian Natives, Fruit Trees and Edibles, Succulents, Gardenias, Camellias, Hydrangeas plus a full range garden products for delivery in Melbourne.
www.diacos.com.au
412 James Lane, Fern Hill VIC. 3458 - Phone 0419002651
Large range of Rare plants, Climbers, Bulbs, Perennials Fruit Trees, Ornamental Trees and Shrubs. Available both Retail and by Mail Order
www.whitehousenursery.com.au
Wholesale Suppliers
email ask@plantmark.com.au
One of Australia's largest wholesale trade nurseries. Over 30,000 species available, tubestock to advanced trees, an almost unlimited choice of plants.
www.plantmark.com.au
111 Stanhope Road Theresa Park NSW 2570
Offering a variety of sun hardy Australian natives and exotic trees, shrubs, groundcover's and perennials from semi advanced through to super advanced and semi-mature stock.
www.downesnursery.com.au