Black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’) offers a distinctive aesthetic with its deep, dark foliage. Companion planting involves pairing different plant species to enhance their individual beauty and create a harmonious garden design.
Understanding Black Mondo Grass
Black mondo grass presents a striking appearance with its deep purple-black leaves. It grows in dense, clumping mounds, typically reaching 6 to 10 inches tall and wide. Its fine texture provides contrast to plants with broader leaves or more open forms.
This plant thrives in partial to full shade, tolerating more sun in cooler climates if the soil remains consistently moist. Well-draining soil, rich in organic matter, supports its best growth and prevents root issues. Established black mondo grass shows moderate drought tolerance, but regular moisture encourages lush foliage. It is hardy in USDA Zones 5 through 10.
Principles for Selecting Companion Plants
Selecting companion plants for black mondo grass involves considering several factors for aesthetic appeal and horticultural success. Matching growing conditions is a primary consideration; plants should share similar requirements for light, soil type, and moisture.
Visual impact also plays a significant role. Color contrast can make the dark foliage of black mondo grass stand out, using bright greens, silvers, or vibrant floral hues, creating dynamic displays. Harmonious colors like deep purples or blues can achieve a more subtle look.
Texture contrast is another important element, pairing the fine blades of black mondo grass with bolder, broader leaves or delicate, airy textures, adding visual depth and interest. Additionally, considering growth habit and mature size prevents one plant from overwhelming another, maintaining design balance.
Recommended Companion Plants
Many plants complement black mondo grass, enhancing its unique color and texture.
Heuchera (Coral Bells)
Heuchera offers a wide array of foliage colors, including chartreuse, amber, and deep burgundy, contrasting or blending with the dark blades of mondo grass. Their mounding habit and similar shade preferences make them suitable partners.
Hostas
Hostas, especially those with variegated or light-colored leaves, create strong visual contrast against black mondo grass, their broad leaves providing a textural counterpoint.
Japanese Painted Ferns
Japanese painted ferns (Athyrium niponicum ‘Pictum’) offer delicate, silvery-green fronds with hints of burgundy, beautifully complementing the dark foliage in shaded settings.
Creeping Jenny
Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’) provides a vibrant yellow-green groundcover that can spill over edges or weave through the mondo grass, creating a lively color contrast.
Impatiens
For flowering accents, impatiens thrive in similar shaded conditions and offer a continuous display of bright blooms, such as white, pink, or red, which pop against the dark backdrop.
Astilbe
Astilbe varieties, with their feathery plumes of white, pink, or red flowers, introduce a different texture and vertical element that contrasts with the low-growing mondo grass. These plants also prefer moist, shaded environments.
Sedum
Sedum, particularly creeping varieties like ‘Angelina’ with its golden-chartreuse foliage, can be effective in areas with more sun exposure, providing a bright, low-growing carpet next to the dark grass.
Spring Bulbs
Small, early spring bulbs such as snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) or crocus can emerge through the mondo grass, offering a fleeting but charming display of white or purple flowers before the main growing season.
Designing with Black Mondo Grass and Companions
Incorporating black mondo grass and its companions into a garden design involves strategic placement for visual impact. Mass planting black mondo grass creates a striking dark groundcover or a defined border along pathways and beds. Companion plants can then be interspersed or layered behind this dark edge, allowing their colors and textures to stand out against the deep foliage.
Black mondo grass also excels in container plantings, where its dark color provides a dramatic base. Trailing companions, such as Silver Falls dichondra (Dichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’), can spill over the pot’s edge, while upright plants add vertical interest. Grouping plants in drifts rather than individual specimens creates a more natural and cohesive appearance, enhancing garden flow. Repeating certain companion plants throughout an area can also unify the design, guiding the eye through the landscape.