Mondograss
Mondograss (O. japonicas) is the most grasslike of the lilyturfs. It is identified by dense clumps of long, 1/8-inch-wide leaves that arch over into mounds 8 to 10 inches high. The leaves are dark green and coarse in texture.
Small, pale purple flowers, mostly hidden among the leaves, appear in July and August, followed by pea-sized blue fruit. Mondograss spreads by means of fleshy subsurface stems. The growth rate is quite slow until the plant is well established.
A miniature version of O. japonicas, growing about half as high, is O. j. ‘Nana’. O. jaburan is similar in size and growth habit to Liriope muscari, and is often mistaken for it. The chief observable differences are that O. jaburan has green instead of brownish stems, and white, more drooping, less tightly clustered flowers. O. `Variegatus’ is a low-growing variety with white, striated leaves.
These plants are adaptable to most well-drained soils. In coastal areas they will grow in full sun; elsewhere they look and grow best in medium to light shade. All need regular summer watering. Mondograss needs more frequent watering if exposed to full sun in a mass planting. New plants can be started by dividing clumps. Set divisions of mondograss 6 inches apart, O. jaburan 12 inches apart.
Mondograss looks good as a sizable planting under the shade of a large tree. In a shaded patio setting, a few dozen plants, placed about 8 inches apart with baby’s-tears (Soleirolia soleirolii) in between, produce a lovely, cool effect. It also makes a handsome border along paths, and is useful in defining and separating lawns from flower beds. O. jaburan is most effective where its attractive flowers (good for cutting) and violet-blue fruits can be seen close up, as in entryways, near fences and buildings, and under trees.
