Ophiopogon planiscapus
Encyclopedia
Ophiopogon planiscapus, Black Mondo Grass, Ebony Knight or Nigrescens, is a small ground cover
evergreen
perennial. It grows from short rhizomes, and bears tufts of leaves, from which flowers emerge in racemes held on short stems above the leaves. Its leaves turn from green to dark purple (black) and can grow to 8 inches and 1/4 inch wide. This plant is commonly used in rock gardens or raised beds as an ornamental plant
; owing to its dwarf-like qualities it can be lost in borders.
O. planiscapus is native to Korea
and Japan
, where it grows on open and forested slopes. It has no insect or disease problems.
There is also a variegated form Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Little Tabby'. This is green with white borders to the leaves.
perennial plant. The leaves are linear and it can grow up to 8 inches tall (20 cm) and 12 inches
spread (30 cm). The flowers are white to pale lilac, which come from a short raceme
rising slightly above the foliage. Fruits are capsule shaped and contain dull blueish black seeds. In warmer regions its foliage remains attractive throughout the season though in colder regions its foliage may deteriorate during winters. This plant grows well in full sun or partial shade, well-drained, acidic and slightly humus soil.
Groundcover
Groundcover refers to any plant that grows over an area of ground, used to provide protection from erosion and drought, and to improve its aesthetic appearance .- Ecosystem :...
evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
perennial. It grows from short rhizomes, and bears tufts of leaves, from which flowers emerge in racemes held on short stems above the leaves. Its leaves turn from green to dark purple (black) and can grow to 8 inches and 1/4 inch wide. This plant is commonly used in rock gardens or raised beds as an ornamental plant
Ornamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
; owing to its dwarf-like qualities it can be lost in borders.
O. planiscapus is native to Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, where it grows on open and forested slopes. It has no insect or disease problems.
There is also a variegated form Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Little Tabby'. This is green with white borders to the leaves.
Growth
It is an evergreenEvergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
perennial plant. The leaves are linear and it can grow up to 8 inches tall (20 cm) and 12 inches
Foot (unit of length)
A foot A foot A foot (plural: feet; abbreviation or symbol: ft or ′ (the prime symbol) is a unit of length in a number of different systems including Ancient Greek, Ancient Roman, English units, Imperial units, United States customary units and the units of many Continental European...
spread (30 cm). The flowers are white to pale lilac, which come from a short raceme
Raceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
rising slightly above the foliage. Fruits are capsule shaped and contain dull blueish black seeds. In warmer regions its foliage remains attractive throughout the season though in colder regions its foliage may deteriorate during winters. This plant grows well in full sun or partial shade, well-drained, acidic and slightly humus soil.