Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Perennial
Origin
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
China, Japan, Korea
Types
-
Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens'
Number of Varieties
37
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
Damp shady woods, foothill woods, Lowland
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-97-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-1
Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 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
Oval or Rounded
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm20.30 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,220.00 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Brown
White, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Black
Blue Violet
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Black
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Black
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Gray
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Black
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
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
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Root Division
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
-
Plant Tolerance
Pollution, Soil Compaction, 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
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Hummingbirds
Allergy
Asthma
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Borders
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Erosion control, Wildlife
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Antipyretic, Antiscrophulatic, Antitussive, Aphrodisiac
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Root
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Container, Edging, Groundcover, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
BETULA nigra
Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens'
Common Name
River Birch
Black Mondo Grass, black mondo
In Hindi
River Birch
Black Mondo Grass
In German
Fluss Birch
Mondo Gras Busch
In French
Birch river
Black Mondo Grass
In Spanish
river Birch
entre el césped
In Greek
ποταμός Birch
Black Mondo Grass
In Portuguese
river Birch
Black Mondo Grass
In Polish
Rzeka Birch
Black Mondo Grass
In Latin
Betula
Black Mondo Grass
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Embryophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Fagales
Liliales
Family
Betulaceae
Liliaceae
Genus
Betula
Ophiopogon
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
350
1
27800
👆🏻