Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Perennial
Origin
South Africa
Japan
Types
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Ophiopogon japonicus, Ophiopogon planiscapus
Number of Varieties
750
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Boggy areas, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden Canopy
Damp shady woods, foothill woods, Lowland
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-116-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, 14, 15, 16, 17, 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
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
365.76 cm10.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
182.88 cm2.30 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Yellow, Ivory
White, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Indigo, Dark Blue, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Egg-shaped
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Winter, Late Winter
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Root Division
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires 4 to 8 inches of water above the soil line
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
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Trim each shoot back to the first set of leaves
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
Wet Site
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
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
Hummingbirds
Allergy
Toxic
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Borders
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Emetic, Febrifuge, Laxative, Odontalgic, Ophthalmic, Tonic
Antipyretic, Antiscrophulatic, Antitussive, Aphrodisiac
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Fruits, Inner Bark, Root, Wood
Root
Other Uses
Used for woodware
useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bog Garden, Cutflower, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Edging, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
BERZELIA lanuginosa
OPHIOPOGON japonicus
Common Name
Buttonbush
Mondo grass, lily turf, snakebeard
In Hindi
Buttonbush shrub
Mondo Grass
In German
Button Strauch
Mondo Grass
In French
buttonbush arbuste
Mondo Grass
In Spanish
arbusto buttonbush
Ophiopogon planiscapus
In Greek
Buttonbush θάμνος
Mondo Grass
In Portuguese
arbusto Buttonbush
Mondo Grass
In Polish
Buttonbush krzew
Mondo Grass
In Latin
Frutex Buttonbush
Mondo Grass
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Embryophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Rubiales
Liliales
Family
Bruniaceae
Liliaceae
Genus
Cephalanthus
Ophiopogon
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
1250
1
27800
👆🏻