Ophiopogon nigrescens

I have just bought some of this, absolutely stunning, does anyone know if it is fully hardy? I don't want to lose it!!

Val

 

Hi Gemini - Ophiopogon nigrescens has such a lovely colour - in the British Isles it is a fully hardy evergreen perennial. It does like to grow in the sun in well-drained soil. Great for planting in a rock garden.

 

I haven't got a rock garden, can I plant it in a tub?

Val

 

Plant it anywhere - it'll soon spread!

 

Yes it can be planted in a tub and it also looks very effective planted in soil covered with gravel. The leaf colour against the gravel looks great.

 

Should have driven up the road to us and you could have had as much as you wanted to dig out. It spreads!

 

I planted it in my mum's garden in gravel under-planting taller grasses and once established it spread well and self seeded too; I've even sowed seed in celluar trays and got loads more for free; most came true too and were black, just one or two reverted to green

 

I can't seem to get mine to set seed :( and I need loads of plants for a Black & White project I'm embarking on. If you were able to collect some seed I#d much appreciate it. Happy to pay postage etc.

 

I have bought one from Shiney at the open day, or at least a plant which looks exactly the same (I don't go by names usually I go by that "love at first sight" feeling)...a bit of a wild approach, I know. Anyway the more I look at it the more I like it, and I hope it will have many babies...

 

I'll have a word with my mum and see whether they've got seed again (they're like micro canna seed) and see if she'll collect some

 

It spreads alright, but can take a time to get really going, once it does, look out.

I find it grows well at the top of my waterfall, its damp all year there due to the starlings having a bath every afternoon.
I even kind of like the green seed version.

 

Many thanks

 

Ophiopogon nigrescens is lovely "grass" , I think it's in the lily family,really. I've never worked out,where,to grow it. Grew it with red Imperata grass and Bowles golden grass but I agree with an earlier post that it's good in a pot on its own. Does it flower in a pot as well though?

 

Flowers in a shallow planter.