Black Mondo Grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens')
oh-fee-oh-POE-gon plan-iss-KAP-us nih-GRESS-senz

Evergreen Perennial Low, Clump-Forming in the Asparagaceae Family
A striking near-black grass-like groundcover for shade and part sun — slow, well-behaved clumps of glossy, strap-like foliage that hold their inky color year-round, with tiny pink-tinged summer flowers and black berries.

Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens', commonly known as black mondo grass, is a striking, low-growing, evergreen perennial with unique dark foliage. This cultivar forms dense, slow-spreading clumps of slender, strap-like leaves that emerge nearly black and maintain their deep, almost purple-black hue year-round.

Growing only 6-8 inches tall, black mondo grass makes an excellent groundcover, border plant, or accent in shade gardens and rock gardens. It prefers partial shade to full sun and evenly moist, well-drained soil, tolerating some dryness once established. Small, pink-tinged, bell-shaped flowers occasionally appear in summer, followed by small black berries.

Valued for its dramatic, almost inky-black foliage, 'Nigrescens' provides a striking contrast to lighter-colored plants and works especially well in Asian-inspired garden designs.

Pros

  • Dramatic near-black evergreen foliage, unlike almost anything else in a shade garden
  • Low-maintenance and slow to spread — stays where it's planted
  • Tolerates part shade to full sun once established
  • Good contrast plant for Asian-inspired or modern garden designs

Cons

  • Not reliably winter-hardy in colder parts of Zone 5 — site it somewhere protected
  • Slow to establish and fill in; patience needed for a solid planting
  • Foliage can look ragged after a hard winter in the Chicago area
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 6 - 8 inches tall. 8 - 12 inches wide.
Sun Exposure Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Dry - Medium
Zones 5a - 9b (Usually hardy to -20° F)
Tags Colorful Foliage, Container, Deer Resistant, Dry, Evergreen, Full Sun, Good for Rock Garden, Low Maintenance, Medium, Non-Allergenic, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Shade Tolerant
Bloom Period June - July
Flower Color Pink
Foliage Color
 

More Info from Experts

Photos of This with...

Siberian Bugloss, Phoenix Green Sedge, Firestorm Daylily, Cultus Bay Beauty Coral Bells, Obsidian Coral Bells
 
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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 06/22 - 10/04
2024 : 05/01 - 10/05
2023 : 05/04 - 09/30

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!