Life Span
Biennial
Perennial
Type
Palm or Cycad
Perennial
Origin
South Africa
China, Japan, Korea
Types
Alexandria cycad, Encephalartos caffer, Encephalartos concinnus
Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens'
Number of Varieties
667
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverbanks, Rocky areas, Scrubs
Damp shady woods, foothill woods, Lowland
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-127-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
290.00 cm20.30 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
240.00 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
White, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Blue Violet
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Black
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Black
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Gray
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Black
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Root Division
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs very little water
Regular watering during dry periods
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove crossing or rubbing branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Borders
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Shadow Tree, Windbreak
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Antipyretic, Antiscrophulatic, Antitussive, Aphrodisiac
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds, Stem
Root
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Edging, Groundcover, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
ENCEPHALARTOS altensteinii
Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens'
Common Name
Bread Tree, Prickly Cycad
Black Mondo Grass, black mondo
In Hindi
Bread Tree
Black Mondo Grass
In German
Brotbaum
Mondo Gras Busch
In French
Bread Arbre
Black Mondo Grass
In Spanish
Árbol del pan
entre el césped
In Greek
ψωμί Δέντρο
Black Mondo Grass
In Portuguese
Árvore de pão
Black Mondo Grass
In Polish
chleb Drzewo
Black Mondo Grass
In Latin
panis ligno
Black Mondo Grass
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Embryophyta
Class
Equisetopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cycadales
Liliales
Family
Cycadaceae
Liliaceae
Genus
Encephalartos
Ophiopogon
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
6650
1
27800
👆🏻