Mondo grass makes a low maintenance alternative to a traditional lawn
What if you could have a lush lawn that stays deep green all year, only needs mowing once, never needs fertilizer or supplemental water, is disease and pest free, and looks just as good in sun or shade. Sound too good to be true? Enter Mondo Grass (Ophiopogon japonicus).
First the bad news; it’s not hardy in areas colder than zone 6 but some varieties are said to be hardy to zone 5. Still, it is said to retain its deep green appearance down to a temperature of 0 F. However, for the rest of the country, Mondo Grass grows well. You’ve seen it in the front of planting beds or between stepping-stones in a shady path. On a larger scale, it can be an excellent alternative to an expensive, high maintenance lawn. That is where I fist saw mondo grass used on such a large scale.
I’ll never forget that cold January day as I pulled up the driveway to scout a location for a show we would be taping for Fresh From the Garden. Brencie, the homeowner and seasoned Master Gardener approached to greet me. Unfortunately the first words out of my mouth were not‘pleased to meet you’, but rather ‘Wow, what a great looking lawn!’ As an avid gardener herself, Brencie understood my sudden diversion and was more than willing to share her story of how she and her husband Dick, sprigged each piece of mondo grass just three years prior.
It is now April and we just completed our taping segment for that show in her garden. Brencie finally cut the Mondo Grass for the one and only time she’ll need to this year. The lawn (is that the right term?) looks better than ever, even after all the heavy foot traffic our crew applied over the past three days. This is an amazingly durable groundcover.
To create the lawn effect that Brencie and Dick have, take small sprigs and insert them into the soil about every four to six inches. They used an electric drill and a long shafted drill bit to make the job easier. Then place a sprig into each hole and water in. By the fourth year, the creeping underground stems will provide complete coverage.
A few more tips will help you get the same great results. First, a pre-emergent applied in early fall and late winter will keep weeds at bay. Next, don’t wait too many years before making the first cut. The lower foliage can turn yellow from lack of light. The best mowing time is late winter to remove old discolored foliage before new growth begins. To propagate this plant, simply dig up a clump, divide out the sprigs, and replant elsewhere.
As I think about the scope of Brencie and Dick’s sprigging project, I admire them for their vision and determination. Filling an entire lawn area by hand with plants spaced just four inches apart must have felt hopeless at times. But just three short years later and for everyday to come, they are rewarded with a lush, beautiful, maintenance free lawn, and a well-deserved and perpetual reward for the fruits of their labor.
About Joe Lamp'l
Joe Lamp'l is the Host and Executive Producer of the award winning PBS television series Growing A Greener World. Off camera, Joe dedicates his time to promoting sustainability through his popular books, blog, podcast series, and nationally syndicated newspaper columns. Follow Joe on Twitter
I have the opportunity to purchase 1g dwarf mondo grass and would like to use as a grass alternative in Charlotte, NC and Smyrna, GA. How closely should I plant them and will they do as well as the smaller plugs in terms of growing together to look more “grass like” than “clump like”? Also in Charlotte and Smyrna can it grow in shade and sun?
They can grow in shade or sun. The closer you plant your plugs, the faster they will fill in. But I know 4″ apart is pretty common to start. Mondo grass is slow to establish so be patient.
We live in NC and have a shady, moist area where fescue doesn’t grow well. The grass growth is very spotty. I need to plant something else there b/c it otherwise gets too muddy after storms. The rest of my yard is fine and is fescue. Can I plant this in the troubled area? All-in, this area is fairly large…maybe 3/4 the size of a tennis court. Rough idea on cost?
CP, It’s always frustrating to try and grow turf where it doesn’t want to grow. My first thought is you may want to get a garden designer to help you develop a plan for this area since it is so large. There are many options. If you are looking for groundcovers, Mazus reptans, dwarf Acorus, a variety of sedges and golden creeping jenny (can be invasive) are all worth considering. With such a large area you may want to include a few shrubs and possibly a small tree. Native shrubs like Virginia sweetspire, Itea virginica will thrive in the environment you describe. Here is a link for a nursery that offers some (and more) options. https://www.prairienursery.com/store/native-plants/for-moist-soils I hope this helps you get started. Happy gardening!
Joe, I’m determined that this will be our next yard in South Jersey as we already have a small section of this that has withstood a ton already. To replace grass and weeds that are in the front lawn do we need to first roto the entire area and return it to dirt?
I do think to avoid the competition Rich, you need to start with a clean slate. And one word of caution. When you till up the yard, you are going to bring millions of dormant weed seeds to the surface. They will germinate also. So I would advise that you plan to make your eradication process of lawn and several rotations of tilling to beat down all the new weeds several times before you finally go for the mondo grass lawn replacement. While the initial work will indeed be laborious, ultimately you will be quite happy I suspect.
We live in Decatur Ga and we put down zoysia sod last year, then we got a puppy and he is tearing it out. Could we replace this with mondo grass? Is this a ridiculous idea? Where do I start? AAAAH!
Not a ridiculous idea but by the time the mondo fully roots in and serves the purpose you intended, your puppy will be a teenager in dog years. Zoysia would root in much quicker.
Is Mondo Grass moveable?
Very movable. Just slow to re-establish. But be patient and it will be well worth the effort Dee.
I live in dfw and have a flag stone patio facing south with NO shade and want asomething green between the stonea. Will dwarf mondo do grass grow under those conditions? What else could I plant that will not over run the stonew but will break up the monotony?
I’m in Dallas Texas and have been trying to replace all my dead lawn with Mondo Grass. I can’t find the stuff at any kind of decent price in large bulk. I tried Mondograss.com but they keep sending stuff that is too small almost dwarf size. My 2 year old stuff is still only about 1 inch tall. Does anyone have a good source? My local still thinks of it like a border and it is way too expensive. I think this is the way of the future. What I do have established has been thru very hot weather and then lots of rain that killed all my lawn and a lot of shrubs. So I only want to put back Mondo grass but about 6 inches tall.
I am considering to grow dwarf mondo grass from seeds to establish a lawn in a large dry area in my back yard (the area is too large to do transplants). How long will this take to establish? And once it is established, can it withstand the wear and tear of large dogs playing on it?
It takes a long time for mondo grass to establish from transplants. This I know from experience. However, I’ve never grown it from seed. I suspect it can actually establish faster once it sets roots. However, I also think that will still be quite a long process since this plant is such a slow grower. If you have the patience, I think it’s a very good choice for a durable lawn alternative once it has fully grown in. How long that takes depends on too many variables that I can not predict.
I want to plant mongo grass in an area that washes away from the back yard. I need something that will grow quickly to resolve my muddy problem. Is mongo my best solution?
Mondo grass is great but id does NOT grow fast from planting to establishment. You may want to go with something deeper rooted and faster growing. Dry another ground cover such as liriope. Looks like mondo grass but has longer blades. Check with your local garden center or extension service to see if that have any specific suggestions for your area.
Hi Joe,
Mondo grass in Springfield IL?
Thank you. John
Hi John. It looks like you are right on the border of hardiness for mondo grass. Living in Atlanta, I had to do a little research and I didn’t find much. But the Monrovia site I found shows it hard to zone 6. It appears you are right on the edge of zone 6A and 5B. So it’s “iffy”. But as these climate zones continue to shift north you might be alright now. See if you can inquire from a local independent nursery that is knowledgeable on plants for your area. Someone there should know. Hope it works for you John. It’s a wonderful ground cover once it establishes.
We live just south of Houston TX. We have large oaks in our yard and have trouble keeping St Augustine alive. Considering dwarf mondo, but have a few questions. We need to mow with a bagger frequently in the spring to pick up the oak leaves. Will mondo stand up to this frequent of mowing? Will you reply by email or post the answer on this web site?
Hi Tom. I’ve never known someone that has mowed over mondo as much as a regular lawn routine. However, it is very tough. I believe if you set your mower on a higher setting so that is still picks up the leaves but isn’t always cutting the mondo blades you might find that to be a good compromise. That would be my first choice. The other option if that doesn’t work is to only mow as low as necessary to suck up the leaves but no lower. And keep a close eye on the mondo to see if it shows adverse effects of this.
If those options don’t work, then blowing or raking would be solutions that wouldn’t hurt the mondo.
Maybe remove the blade from your mower?
I live outside Atlanta and have some mondo grass that is about 15 years old. I have always mowed it in March and it has always grown back deep green and lush. A local gardener told me there was no reason to mow mondo grass, so this year I didn’t. Now its mid August and it looks terrible, with a lot of brown leaves at the base. I feel like mowing it, but am wondering if it’s too late in the growing season.
Hi Mike. Here I am responding much later and I’m sorry for the delay, especially considering your question was time sensitive. However, I do suggest that mondo grass be mowed once a year. My expert source, Brencie Warner, also lives in Atlanta and that’s what she does (although I don’t know when). But it is a tough as nails plant. Considering it’s now October, I’d still cut it just to remove the top ragged growth. Worst case, you can do again next March and get lots of new growth. But I don’t think you can hurt it now, especially in Atlanta (where I live too). It can handle what’s coming weather wise even if you cut it now. Just don’t remove more than about 1/3 of the blades if possible.
We are having severe drought conditions in Northern California.
I live in Santa Rosa and would like to replace my grass with something that is tolerant to human foot traffic and dog friendly, little to no watering or mowing.
Will Dwarf Mondo Grass fit the bill?
Temps can drop to low 30’s high 20’s in winter for a week or two.
Many thanks.
Dwarf mondo would be a fine choice for a durable lawn replacement that is drought tolerant and can easily handle those winter temps. However, you will need to find a way to keep your plugs watered until they get established which can take several months. Can you use gray water in N. CA for that? Captured water from the sink or tub while you’re waiting for the water to get hot will add up quickly. Just use it sparingly and it may be just the ticket. Good luck!
Does the grass need to be removed prior to plugging in Mondo grass?
It’s better if you start with a clean slate while the mondo grass establishes, which is slow to do. A tiller would be a good choice as it will remove the grass and help break up the soil beneath. Rake up the remaining debris and keep the mondo grass watered until you know it has established, likely a few months before it is well rooted in.
I live in Beaufort SC. Will any Mondo Grass work here? I read that you need to use Dwarf Mondo Grass.
I love this idea. Thanks for sharing your wonderful article and knowledge.