groundcover
Mondo grass
Ophiopogon japonicus
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Hardy in zones 7–10, Mondo grass is an evergreen groundcover. It grows 6–9 in tall and 0.75–1 ft wide, so plant it 0.75 ft apart. Give it part sun to shade and average water. It is grown for its year-round foliage rather than its flowers. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the edge role: a low plant that finishes the front edge. Deer usually leave it alone, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in the Mountain West and the Desert Southwest, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Ophiopogon japonicus
- Plant type
- Groundcover, evergreen
- Hardiness zones
- 7 to 10
- Sun
- Part sun (4–6 hours); Part shade (2–4 hours); Shade (under 2 hours)
- Water
- Medium
- Soil
- Adaptable; best in moist, well-drained soil.
- Mature size
- 6–9 in tall × 0.75–1 ft wide
- Spacing
- 0.75 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Bloom
- Grown for foliage
- Roles in a bed
- Edge, Grass
- Styles
- classic, modern
- Deer resistance
- High: deer rarely eat it
- Pets
- Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Mondo grass is generally reported non-toxic; this species was not individually confirmed on the ASPCA list.
- Native to
- Not native to the US (or a garden hybrid)
- Pot size and price
- quart pot, typically $6–$10 (easy to find)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, more in heat; keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy. Established plants need water only in dry spells.
- Pruning
- Mow high or trim in late winter if foliage is tattered.
Sources: Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder; state extension service fact sheets; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Rutgers NJAES deer resistance ratings; state extension service; Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States; state noxious weed and invasive plant lists; US garden-centre and home-improvement retail listings (general knowledge, 2026 estimate). Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Guides that include this plant
- Deer-resistant plants for a part-shade bed in zone 7
- Deer-resistant plants for a part-shade bed in zone 8 (as a substitute)
- What to plant in a part-shade bed in zone 7 (as a substitute)
- What to plant in a part-shade bed in zone 8
- What to plant in a part-shade bed in zone 9
- What to plant in a shady bed in zone 7
- What to plant in a shady bed in zone 8 (as a substitute)
- What to plant in a shady bed in zone 9 (as a substitute)
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Mondo grass, across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Cast iron plantAspidistra elatiorperennial · zones 7–11
- Holly fernCyrtomium falcatumfern · zones 7–10
- Shrubby yew pinePodocarpus macrophyllus var. makishrub · zones 8–10
- Japanese sedge 'Evergold'Carex oshimensis 'Evergold'ornamental grass · zones 5–9
- African irisDietes iridioidesperennial · zones 8–11
- Lilyturf 'Big Blue'Liriope muscari 'Big Blue'perennial · zones 6–10
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for Mondo grass: same role in the bed, passing the same rules. Some of them are flagged toxic to dogs or cats: check the pet note before you swap.
- Japanese sedge 'Ice Dance'Carex morrowii 'Ice Dance'zones 5–9 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Japanese sedge 'Evergold'Carex oshimensis 'Evergold'zones 5–9 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Bugleweed 'Bronze Beauty'Ajuga reptans 'Bronze Beauty'zones 3–9 · flagged toxic to pets
- Black mondo grass 'Nigrescens'Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens'zones 6–9 · not flagged toxic to pets
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants