A steady stream of horticultural and garden design accolades can be found if one scans the gardening literature for black mondo grass or black turf-lily. Given that it’s one of the few plants I personally grow in my little balcony garden, the praise must be well-deserved!
It is a Great Plant Pick, a Missouri Botanical Garden Plant of Merit, and a Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit plant. Perhaps not an honorific, but something that alludes to both its dependability and boldness, was its use to form the black ring in horticultural displays celebrating the 2012 Summer Olympic Games (see: Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’ at Kew).
Here’s a video, but you’ll have to use your imagination–initial plantings were done with pansies for the black ring, but as these faded they were replaced with Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’ (or else it filled in the spaces as the pansies declined, as I think I can spot young plants of black mondo grass).
Despite the common names, it is neither a grass (members of Poaceae) nor a lily (Lilium within Liliaceae). It is actually more closely related to Asparagus, as it is in the Asparagaceae. And, more curious, this more-or-less woodland species of open slopes in its native Japan belongs to the same subfamily (Nolinoideae), as the (primarily Mexican and Texan) desert-loving species of Nolina.
Finding the plant around my area would be impossible. No nursery near me.
That’s too bad–aren’t you a similar zone to Missouri BG? Should be able to grow it in your region…
Bonnie, I expect these ship well as plugs, it’s a very durable plant. Maybe try Classic Groundcovers, a GA company I’ve used and been happy with in the past.
It is sold here in buckets Toronto Ontario. non native; almost sells as much as the other annuals (UGH) impatients Used in summer plantings with other annuals we sell tons in the summer. Its one of those plants like Chinese lanterns.
The Olympic Rings were amazing. What a gardening feat.
What a charming plant. Shall try it in S. Md. [ZONE 7-8]. A lovely contrast to so much green foliage.
Mine has never flowered, but it spreads like crazy. One plant has covered about a square meter after ten years.
I first saw this plant about 25 years ago at Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge island, WA, where it formed a wide carpet on both sides of a shady path in the Japanese Garden. The effect was stunning.
More recently I’ve grown it in my own garden where it seems equally happy in sun or shade.
Since it doesn’t show up well against bare ground, I’ve planted them in red pots (see attached). This also keeps it from spreading. It blooms each year (they are barely visible in the picture) followed by black fruit (seeds).
thanks everyone but I’m at the stage in life I can no longer plant in the ground or even my big pots.