YouGarden Ophiopogon Black Dragon Grass x 3 Plants in 9cm Pots

This has to be one of the toughest and most indestructible garden plants – fully hardy, no maintenance required at all, and you can walk all over it.

Despite being called a 'grass', Ophiopogon is in fact a strappy leaved perennial. It is one of the very few so-called 'black' plants that are actually black – a year-round matt black backdrop to set off bolder and brighter garden features.

It is a very slow-spreading, carpet-forming plant, and can remain undisturbed for years, eventually forming a fair-sized clump. You can then chop it up with a spade in spring and create many more plants for free.

Superb when interplanted with small perennials, use it also as a groundcover, be it in shade or sun, drought or wet – it is also great in modern mixed container plantings. Easy to grow and fully hardy, this plant is a real time-saver, its evergreen colour is a fabulous foil for bright golds, oranges and limes.

Fully deserving of its coveted RHS Award of Garden Merit, you can be sure that this is a proven garden performer, guaranteed to be suitable for UK gardeners at every level of experience. You can therefore plant this in the garden with confidence, for stunning displays for many years to come – a versatile little gem.

Specifications

• Supplied as a set of 3 x 9cm potted plants, good clumps, several years old and very tough, to plant out at any time of the year
• Availability: All-year-round
• Planting time: All-year-round
• Flowering time: May to June

Top Tips

• Best grown on a rock garden, container or raised bed so that it can be seen to full effect.

Care Information

Planting Advice for Ophiopogon Black Dragon Grass:

• Plant in well-drained soil in full sun or light, dappled shade.
• Before planting, water your potted plant well.
• Dig a hole a little deeper and 3 x wider than the nursery pot.
• Add a soil conditioner such as well-rotted manure to the earth removed from the hole if necessary.
• Remove the plant from its pot and tease out a few of the roots.
• Place your plant in the hole at the same level as the pot.
• Refill the hole with the earth removed (backfilling) and firm the soil with your hand, avoiding the root ball.
• Water well and mulch around the base of the plant with a collar, compost, gravel, bark etc.

Aftercare Advice for Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens':

• Potted plants will need regular watering.
• In autumn, top-dress plants with leaf mould.

Pruning advice for Black Dragon Grass:

• Rake out any old, tired or dead leaves and flowers in spring.
• If needed plants can be cut back by up to half from April to July - do not cut back in autumn or winter.