Liriope muscari grows like gangbusters for me.

I have black mondo, only about two years old, but it's doing great so far. Everything I read talked about how painfully slow it is, and while it doesn't grow like a weed, it doesn't seem all that slow to me. I've seen slower. ? I really like it. :)

my black ophiop. and liriope varieg. have been surviving and going gangbusters, respectively, for many yrs. The liriope varieg. is a great substitute for molinia varieg; it is shade tolerant where the molinia is not, and makes a great path-edging plant in the shade.
best,
mindy

Re: substitutes: I have "Ice Dance" sedge, which is very vigorous grower for me, and would be a lovely substitution for the variegated liriope, should you have trouble growing the liriope. Both tolerate a part-shade nicely.

Carex 'Ice Dance' is a beauty -- one of my favourites! I would expect that if Mindy has no problem with Liriope muscari 'Variegata', then I shouldn't either.

Connie, I'm trying to think of a slower-growing plant than Black Mondo Grass, but... ;)

Connie, I'm trying to think of a slower-growing plant than Black Mondo Grass, but... ;)

I nominate boxwood :-) FWIW, the reason black mondo grass typically carries a hefty price tag is because it IS so slow to spread. But it offers a color and textural contrast in the garden I would not be without!

I also advocate various of the variegated carex cultivars as a substitute for liriope or ophiopogon. For some reason, liriope is prone to fungal blights in my climate and the carex is tough, disease resistant alternative. Nice that it shares similar growing conditions as well.

I'm sure there are some other woodies that are slower-growing than Black Mondo Grass! I was thinking inside the wonderful world of herbaceous perennials only. ;)

I tried to grow a clump of black mondo grass in the ground. It was planted in a very protected area but it just survived and did not thrive. Two years ago I decided to try it pots and overwinter in my basement window well. The plants have doubled in size and I will divide them next spring.

Variegated liriope is something that just doesn't grow for me. Variegated carex does much better. 'Ice Dance' has done well enough for me to consider dividing it.

Mondo grass is sold as an annual/container plant around here. One of those plants where I just scratch my head and wonder who has so much money they can spend that much on plants every year.

LOL! Yeah, I started trying to think of other slower plants after I posted above. I guess it is hard to come up with other perennials that are as slow. I was going to nominate Colorado Blue Spruce. :p

I have some Liriope muscari 'Majestic' that I got from RBG several years ago. It grows well enough for me but doesn't bloom very well. I think it must be in too much shade. It's certainly not a popular plant in my area. RBG is in Hamilton, a zone warmer than Guelph, so perhaps it grows better there.

felisa, did you grow the mondo grass in the pot all season and then bring it in, or did you grow it in the ground all season and then transplant to the pot and bring it in?
thx,
mindy

can mondo grass take some shade? I've read that certain carex grasses can be grown in partial shade (only 3 hrs. sun). Or do they need 5-6 hrs. sun? Miriam

Mindy, I grow the black mondo grass pots all year. Last spring I had to re-pot into larger containers and as I said this spring I should be able to divide. I grow it in shade with about 3 hours of morning sun and then filtered light after that.

Hey, Felisa, fellow Chicagoan (or suburb, in my case). I've got to try black mondo grass next spring! Have you (or anybody reading this) grown Bowles golden sedge? A garden book I'm reading says it can grow in "part to full shade." Looks gorgeous in the photo in the book. Miriam

I'm growing Carex elata 'Bowles Golden' on the edge of a gravel path along side a small pool. Mine is in filtered sun and light shade most of the day if this is of any help.

Annette

Most, if not all Carex prefer partial to full shade.

'Bowles Golden' needs a lot of water though, relatively speaking, at least in my experience.

one spot of our black mondo grasses gets no direct sun, under an acer negundo winter lightning. and yes, carex bowles golden can handle part shade and is a wonderful grass. However,if i had only one grass of all the hundreds, it would be, unhesitatingly, hakonechloa aureo marginata(yellow and grn striped). It is particularly happy/expanding when it is in a spot of great drainage like a hillside or above a wall or edging a raised bed or sunken path.Its fountaining gracefulness is unparalleled and as seen in my photo in the hakonechloa thread,the seed heads are particularly pronounced (whereas you don't really notice them on the carex bowle's golden.)
best,
mindy

I would disagree re the seed-heads of Carex elata 'Bowles Golden' -- they are IMO, very pronounced as this late May pic shows -- beautiful contrast of the brown-black seed-heads with the golden foliage.

{{gwi:284113}}

I started a hakone aureoa (sp?) this summer and a bowles golden in partial shade (3 hrs. sun) and hope they return this spring. I was counting on the description inTracy Disabato-Aust--correct or ?? Miriam

ooooh cpguy, NEAT shot!maybe i've not really noticed mine so much because of their shady spot, but i'll be on the look out next spring! thnx
mindy

Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Niger' has proved hardy here - it's been growing for about 10 years. I have also seen it thriving in a garden on Manitoulin Island - and that did surprise me. It's much hardier than commonly rated.
Any tips for showing it well? I have never been satisfied with its appearance any way I've tried to show it. I tried it with Sedum repestre 'Angelina', and that looked good for a short while, but soon enough the black was swallowed by yellow.
Of three clumps of variegated liriope, only one survived here, but it's wintered over 2-3 times.