• Photo of Ophiopogon japonicus (Ophiopogon japonicuss)

Plant Profile: Ophiopogon japonicus

Taxonomy: Ophiopogon japonicus

Names

Dwarf Lilyturf, Mondo Grass

  • Photo of Ophiopogon japonicus (Ophiopogon japonicuss)

Phonetic Spelling:oh-fee-oh-POH-gon jah-PON-ih-kus

Genus:Ophiopogon

Species:japonicus

Family:Aspsaragaceae

Dwarf Lilyturf is an evergreen groundcover known for its impressive salt tolerance, reaching heights of up to 1 foot. It features a grass-like appearance and a compact, mounding shape. While its leaves are more delicate than those of Liriope species, both share similar growth patterns. This groundcover spreads through runners, creating a dense mat.

Ideal for shady locations, Dwarf Lilyturf serves as an excellent alternative to traditional turf and requires annual mowing. Its slow growth makes it suitable for various applications, including water features, rocky landscapes, block cylinders, slopes, edging beds, model railroads, and as an ornamental addition in indoor pots, where its striking translucent blue fruits can be showcased among the foliage. This plant thrives in shaded areas with moist, well-drained soil, demonstrating some tolerance to sunlight and a relatively low incidence of pests, although slugs can occasionally mar its leaves.

Identification Tips:

Ophiopogon japonicus Feature Summary

Ophiopogon japonicus Image Gallery

Tags

#evergreen
#full sun tolerant
#blue
#shade tolerant
#salt tolerant
#berries
#moist soil
#cpp
#well-drained soil
#deer resistant
#blue fruits
#grass-like
#fantz
#groundcovers that can be mowed
#HS302

Similar Plants

Ophiopogon japonicus is often confused with:

Ophiopogon japonicus Feature Summary

Attributes
China, Korea, Japan
Mondo grass is resistant to damage by deer, and is highly salt tolerant.
Perennial
Fruit
Fruit is a globose berry, opalescent or metallic blue in color, less than an inch in diameter, and are hidden in the foliage.
< 1 inch
Flowers
Flowers are few, nodding, pale lilac to white, and hang loosely on a raceme. Raceme's are short (2-4" long), flattened, and are hidden in foliage. Rachis are lateral on the flattened peduncle. Flowers bloom in the summer.
Pink
Purple/Lavender
White
6 petals/rays
< 1 inch
Leaves
Leaves are simple, entire, linear, grass-like, erect arching apically, are dark green, and grow up to 16" long and less than an inch wide.
> 6 inches
< 1 inch
Stem
Stems have lateral underground stolons that terminate in daughter plants and are mat-forming by runners.
Whole Plant Traits
Ground Cover
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Mounding
Clumping
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Good Drainage
Moist
Less than 12 inches
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
9a
9b
10a
10b
Clay
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Landscape
Children's Garden
Border
Foundation Planting
Deer
Insect Pests
Rabbits
Salt
Black Walnut
Foot Traffic
Heavy Shade
Container
Patio
Walkways
Lawn
Houseplants
Coastal

Ophiopogon japonicus Attributes

Ophiopogon japonicus: Country Or Region Of Origin

China, Korea, Japan

Ophiopogon japonicus: Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems)

Mondo grass is resistant to damage by deer, and is highly salt tolerant.

Ophiopogon japonicus: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Ophiopogon japonicus: Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Ophiopogon japonicus Fruit

Ophiopogon japonicus: Fruit Description

Fruit is a globose berry, opalescent or metallic blue in color, less than an inch in diameter, and are hidden in the foliage.

Ophiopogon japonicus: Fruit Type

Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua

Ophiopogon japonicus: Fruit Color

grass
Blue

Ophiopogon japonicus: Fruit Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Ophiopogon japonicus: Display/Harvest Time

Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter

Ophiopogon japonicus: Fruit Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Ophiopogon japonicus: Fruit Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Ophiopogon japonicus Flowers

Ophiopogon japonicus: Flower Description

Flowers are few, nodding, pale lilac to white, and hang loosely on a raceme. Raceme's are short (2-4" long), flattened, and are hidden in foliage. Rachis are lateral on the flattened peduncle. Flowers bloom in the summer.

Ophiopogon japonicus: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Pink
filter_vintage
Purple/Lavender
filter_vintage
White

Ophiopogon japonicus: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Ophiopogon japonicus: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Ophiopogon japonicus: Flower Petals

2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals

Ophiopogon japonicus: Flower Shape

Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel

Ophiopogon japonicus: Flower Size

1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches

Ophiopogon japonicus Leaves

Ophiopogon japonicus: Leaf Description

Leaves are simple, entire, linear, grass-like, erect arching apically, are dark green, and grow up to 16" long and less than an inch wide.

Ophiopogon japonicus: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Ophiopogon japonicus: Leaf Color

spa
Green

Ophiopogon japonicus: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Ophiopogon japonicus: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Ophiopogon japonicus: Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Ophiopogon japonicus: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Ophiopogon japonicus: Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Ophiopogon japonicus: Leaf Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long-lasting
Showy

Ophiopogon japonicus: Leaf Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Ophiopogon japonicus Stem

Ophiopogon japonicus: Stem Description

Stems have lateral underground stolons that terminate in daughter plants and are mat-forming by runners.

Ophiopogon japonicus: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Ophiopogon japonicus Whole Plant Traits

Ophiopogon japonicus: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Ophiopogon japonicus: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Ophiopogon japonicus: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Ophiopogon japonicus: Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Ophiopogon japonicus: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Ophiopogon japonicus: Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Ophiopogon japonicus Cultural Conditions

Ophiopogon japonicus: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Ophiopogon japonicus: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Ophiopogon japonicus: Available Space To Plant

12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet

Ophiopogon japonicus: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Ophiopogon japonicus: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
10a
thermostat
10b
thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b
thermostat
9a
thermostat
9b

Ophiopogon japonicus: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Ophiopogon japonicus Landscape

Ophiopogon japonicus: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Ophiopogon japonicus: Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Ophiopogon japonicus: Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Ophiopogon japonicus: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland