Mondo Grass?????

[Guest]

Anyone familiar with Mondo Grass (Ophiopogon Japonica)? I picked up some today without researching it. After some research, it appears its not even an aquatic plant 8O Does anyone have any experience on this?

I'll go ahead and put it in the tank to see what happens. I might have to flush it LOL.......live and learn.

 

[Fruitbat]

Mojo....

Definitely NOT aquatic....in fact...I have a very nice stand of it growing along the border of my front yard!! It will last a month or so submerged and then its roots will rot and the plant will disintegrate. Sure is pretty though...isn't it??

 

[TankGirl]

Yep - this is a very popular border plant that is often seen offered as an aquatic plant. Why not go ahead and stick it in the yard?

 

[shawmutt]

wait, then what is the grass that everyone uses for a foreground plant?

 

[Guest]

Dwarf Sag. E. tenellus, dwarf hair grass all come to mind as grass like foreground plants.

 

[shawmutt]

I got confused, it's not mondo I'm thinking about, it's glosso. (I know, not even close, but you'd have to get in my head to understand )



(and that's a scary place)

 

[Guest]

I did some reading and it appears there are submerable, lawn, as well as, bogg varieties. Currently its in a bucket for black out. I guess I'll add it to a tank and see what happens.

I've got dwarf hair grass in a med light tank. Personally, I really like it. Very hardy and spreads nicely. If I could get Glosso locally, Id' love to try it. Just not worth paying the shipping on a small order of Glosso.

 

[Medusa Head]

From what I understand it prefers to be 100% terrestial. It doesn't grow well if submerged and will eventually die. I've seen it sold as an "aquatic" submersible plant at countless pet stores.

Even "hairgrass" (eleocharis) is said to be a terrestial plant. It sometimes grows along the edges of ponds and swamps, so it can be partially submerged but not totally, if totally submerged, it will eventually die.

Now some plants are what I would call "amphibious" and can grow just as easily totally or partially submerged, or in the ground and not near any water at all. I have a plant called "Creeping Jenny" (lysimachia) which will grow as a "creeping" vine along the ground if planted in soil, or will grow upgright and tall when planted submerged. It looks very much like pennywort, in fact it arguably looks nicer than pennywort.

 

[Guest]

Hair grass can be grown totally submerged and does quite well if you give it enough light and other nutrients. In fact it can become almost weed like and require regular trimming.

There are NO forms of Mondo grass that can be grown submerged. It will handle growing in very wet soil but the top of the plant can't be grown submerged. Kind of like many "bog plants" they can handle being grown in standing water but the top of the plant must be in the air.

 

[Guest]

Hummm.....maybe I'll try planting the Mondo in a terrarium or something then. Those dang impulse buys.

I've had very good luck with Dwarf Hair Grass. So much so, that it can be a little intrusive and need to be trimmed.