Black Mondo Grass Flower | All the Things You Must Know

If you are interested in the Black Mondo grass flower, here, you will find a lot of pro tips to encourage this plant to bloom from its appearance to caring points for flowering.

Black Mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’) is well known for its dark elegans foliage. The dark, almost black, grass-like leaves of this plant will give a unique appearance to your indoor décor. It is also popular for designing outdoor gardens and landscapes.

It also produces small flowers, although the Black Mondo grass flower is not the main attraction of this plant, it can create a contrast with its dark foliage that makes it more and more eye-catching in your indoor or outdoor garden.

I talked with you about growing and caring for the Black Mondo grass indoors in my previous article. Here, I want to help you add the beauty of your Black Mondo grass by encouraging it to flower. First, let to discuss the appearance of its flowers.

➡ You can hear the audio version of this article too.

Black Mondo Grass Flower: Appearance

As mentioned above Black Mondo grass has slender and grass-like leaves that are about 6 to 10 inches in height. The leaves are deep purple-black which makes it stand out from most other ornamental plants.

This plant also produces flowers, although the Black Mondo grass flower is not big and colourful, it matches the elegant appearance of Black Mondo grass and adds to its beauty. Let’s find out more about its flowers.

• The flowers are tiny (about 1/4 to 1/2 inch (6-12 mm) in length).
• They are bell-shaped or tubular forms that are wider, slightly rounded, or lobed at the top.
• The tiny white flowers may also spot in other shades such as pale pink, or pale lavender with a yellow central. I love the contrast between the dark foliage of this plant and with delicate pastel hues of its flowers.
• Another thing that causes its flowers to get more eye-catching is their arrangement on Inflorescence.
• You spot Black Mondo grass flowers on slender stems that rise slightly above the foliage.
• As you see in the picture, its clustered white flowers are together in small, loose spikes or racemes that make these tiny white to pinkish flowers impressive.

Black Mondo Grass Flower: Encourage to Bloom

In this part, I want to give you tips to promote flowering in this elegant indoor and outdoor plant. Let’s find Black Mondo grass flower tips.

The Magic of Light

• As you know black mondo grass can tolerate partial to full shade, but if you love Black Mondo grass flowers and want to increase the chance of flowering, you must give this low-light plant a bit more sunlight.
• So, you should select a location with some dappled sunlight or morning sun to plant or place the pots of Black Mondo grass.
• Be cautious about harsh afternoon sun, especially in hot climates. It will cause to scorch the leaves.

Avoid over-fertilizing

• You may say: “Why? The plant needs to get stronger for blooming”. Don’t mistake! Too much nitrogen in the soil will promote leafy growth and prevent flowering. so you never spot Black Mondo grass flowers.
• You should food it with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in early spring.
• Fertilizers that are specifically formulated for flowering plants can also be good.

Don’t Ignore Pruning

I usually recommend minimal pruning for black mondo grass. But you must note that trimming away the dead or damaged leaves and flower stalks will redirect the plant’s energy to flowering.

Watering: A double-edges knife

To support flowering, you should keep the soil consistently moist but overwatering and waterlogged soil can kill your plant. The following tips can help you with this issue:

Using well-drained soil to remove the extra water.

Adding a layer of organic mulch around the base of the plant. It not only helps retain moisture in the soil but also can maintain a more consistent soil temperature and provide some nutrients as it breaks down.

Consider the Climate

A golden tip in flowering Black Mondo grass is that it does not flower in cooler climates or areas with shorter growing seasons. It usually blooms in milder climates. Can you tell our readers in which hardiness zones you most likely see Black Mondo grass flowers? Please write below this page.

Regarding to Size and Age of your Plant

Age is an important factor in producing Black Mondo grass flowers. The chance of flowering in young black mondo grass is lower than in mature ones. So, if you have a young plant, you must be patient since it may take several years for your black mondo grass to produce flowers.

Do Black Mondo Grass Flower Indoor?

I must say that flowering of the Black Mondo grass is less likely when grown indoors as a potted plant. Do you know why? There are two critical factors in blooming that are different indoors from outdoors: Natural temperature fluctuations and Light. Lets to discuss their effects on the Black Mondo grass flower.

Natural temperature fluctuations

Black mondo grass needs a period of winter dormancy to stimulate flowering. When you plant outdoors, to trigger this dormancy, the mother of nature provides natural temperature fluctuations and allows you to see the Black Mondo grass flowers. But how about indoors? How you can give it natural temperature fluctuations? Please tell me about your idea below this page.

Light requirements

As mentioned above, this plant must receive enough light to stimulate flowering. In most houses finding a bright place with indirect sunlight is not easy. If you have a home with a southern window and enough morning indirect sunlight, why do you wait? Put its pot there to increase the chance of Black Mondo grass flower.

Conclusion

Black Mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’) is one of the grass-like indoor plants. If you are interested in Black Mondo Grass Flower, here I provided you with its pro tips to encourage it to bloom.  I’m sure if you provide the appropriate environmental conditions mentioned in this article, your Black Mondo grass will reward you with its tiny white flowers.

Do you have other ways to encourage this plant to bloom? Have you ever spotted the flowers of your black Mondo grass? Please tell us about your ideas and experiments below this page. you can also ask me your questions, and I will answer as soon as possible.