Black Mondo Grass

Ophiopogon planiscapus (Asparagaceae) is a clumping, tufted evergreen perennial native to Japan. It grows less than 1 foot tall and spreads slowly. Thin, grass-like linear leaves are the primary ornamental feature. Small white to lilac flowers appear in crowded racemes in midsummer. Growth is slow.

The cultivar 'Nigrescens' (black mondo grass) is far more widely grown than the green species, valued for its near-black foliage that provides dramatic contrast in borders, edgings, and container plantings. It prefers part shade on fertile, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil. Daughter plants may occasionally revert to green. The species is relatively pest-free. Hardy in Zones 6a to 9b.