Ophiopogon

Ophiopogon is a genus of evergreen perennial herbs in the family Asparagaceae, native to East Asia and parts of Southeast Asia. Commonly known as mondo grass, it is not a true grass but a member of the asparagus family. The genus comprises about 20–30 species that form low, tufted clumps from creeping rhizomes.

Plants have slender, arching, linear leaves that are evergreen year-round. Leaves are typically 5–40 cm long and 3–8 mm wide, often a glossy green, with some cultivars bearing variegated margins. In summer, each plant bears small, pendent white to pale lilac flowers in short inflorescences from leaf axils, followed by fleshy blue-black berries.

The most commonly cultivated species are Ophiopogon japonicus (Japanese mondo grass) and O. planiscapus (often sold as black mondo grass). Variegated forms and cultivars include O. japonicus 'Variegatus' and O. planiscapus 'Albostriatus', as well as the compact dwarf O. japonicus 'Nanus' and the dark-leaved forms such as O. planiscapus 'Nigrescens'.

In horticulture, Ophiopogon is valued as a durable ground cover for shade and woodland gardens, borders, and containers. It tolerates partial shade and moist, well-drained soil; some forms tolerate drought once established and cold better than others. It is easily propagated by division of clumps or by seed. In traditional Chinese medicine, the tuber of O. japonicus is used as Mai Men Dong, an herbal remedy.

Native to China, Japan, Korea, and parts of Southeast Asia, the genus is widely cultivated elsewhere and not generally considered invasive.