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Products > Ophiopogon jaburan
 
Ophiopogon jaburan - White Lilyturf
   
Image of Ophiopogon jaburan
[2nd Image]
Habit and Cultural Information
Category: Grass-like
Family: Liliaceae (Lilies)
Origin: Japan (Asia)
Evergreen: Yes
Flower Color: White
Bloomtime: Summer
Height: 1-2 feet
Width: Spreading
Exposure: Cool Sun/Light Shade
Irrigation (H2O Info): Medium Water Needs
Winter Hardiness: 0-10° F
Ophiopogon jaburan (White Lilyturf) - A clump forming evergreen perennial to 12 to 18 inches tall with dark green pliable and narrow 18 to 24 inch long arching leaves. In spring and summer appear the half inch long nodding white flowers on 2 foot long ones sided spikes that that arch over above the foliage. It grows in light shade or part sun but will also grow in full coastal sun. Irrigate occasionally to regularly but will be more robust and flower better with regular water and is moderately hardy to frost, tolerating temperatures to at least to 10 to 15 F. Occasionally throws variegated leaves that should be removed to enhance the clean look of the white flowers against the dark green leaves, which really makes this plant attractive. It is a great tufting evergreen plant that grows in similar conditions as clivia. This species is native as an understory in forests from southern Korea, including its largest island Jeju-do and in west, central and southern Japan south to the Ryukyu Islands. The name for the genus comes from the Greek words 'ophis' meaning a "snake" and 'pogon' meaning a "beard", "hair" or "tuft" originating from the Japanese name meaning Snakes Beard for the plant. The Japanese name for this plant is Noshi-ran. This plant is growing in large areas in an oak understory at the Huntington Botanic Gardens where it often has a few variegated leaves. We have one plant in our garden given to us by Huntington staff but the seed for our crops was given to us by John Greenlee in 2014. The resulting plants were grown out and over 7 years we continually selected for those that lacked any variegation. In 2021 we finally have this attractive plant out in the nursery to sell. For many years the plant sold as Aztec grass was labeled as a variegated Ophiopogon jaburan clone, but was later determined to be Ophiopogon intermedius. Plants also sold as Ophiopogon jaburan that originated from a nursery in Georgia turned out to be Liriope gigantea 'Evergreen Giant' and the name Liriope gigantea is sometimes still used incorrectly used in the California nursery trade as synonymous with Ophiopogon jaburan. 

This information about Ophiopogon jaburan displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.