Description
Ophiopogon – Mondo Grass – Snakebeard – Lilyturf –
There are about 50 species of long lived, evergreen, rhizomatous or tufted perennial in this genus. They often have swollen, fleshy roots, sometimes also stoloniferous, and occur from shady scrub or woodland in Eastern Asia, especially China and Japan. They are grown for their dense tufts of somewhat grass like leaves. In summer they bears racemes of numerous small, 6 tepaled, semi spherical to bell shaped, pinkish, white or blue through to purple flowers held on leafless stems. Flowers are followed by spherical to oblong-ellipsoid, glossy, berry like, blue or black fruits, each contain a single seed. Grow as a grass like groundcover, for border edging, or in a rock garden.
Grow in moist but well drained, slightly acidic, fertile, humus rich soil in full sun or partial shade. Divide in spring when growth resumes.
Prone to root rots, leaf spots, slugs and snails.
O. japonicus ‘Silver Dragon’ – Liriope japonica – This tuberous rooted, rhizomatous perennial grows 12″ tall and 6″ wide. It form clumps of fine leafed, narrowly linear, curved, rigid white variegated leaves, 8-12″ long. In mid summer it bears short racemes, 2-3″ long, of small, bell shaped, white, occasionally lilac-tinged flowers, 1/4″ across, followed by spherical, blue black berries, 1/4″ across.
Zones 7-10
