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Plants beginning with 'O'
| Ophiopogon -- Mondo Grass -- Ophiopogon is not a true grass, but a member of the lily family, and is sometimes called Lilyturf, a name shared with its cousin, Liriope. It forms small clumps, spreading on short stolons. Mass plantings are sometimes used as groundovers, but most species, and especially the black variety, are slow growing and used more as specimen plants in moist soil where there is protection from hot afternoon sun. They also make a neat border edging. | |
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Ophiopogon japonicus is the standard deep green Mondo Grass that forms foot-wide and 8" high mounds of straplike, 1/4" leaves. Short racemes of small white or lilac-tinged flowers in summer are followed by blue-black berries. |
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Ophiopogon
'Clarkei' has much narrower leaves than the species, with a rather
upright habit, to perhaps 8" tall and slowly spreading. |
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Ophiopogon
'Jade Dragon' is another narrow-leaved variety, but this one is very
prostrate, lying nearly flat on the gound. Deep green leaves. |
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Ophiopogon
japonicus 'Kyoto Dwarf'
-- A dwarf form of Mondo Grass that we use extensively for bonsai
understory. It's suitable for indoor or outdoor bonsai to zone 7. Dark
jade green leaves, 1-2’’ tall. First cultivated sometime during
the last half of the 7th century (and you don’t have yours yet?).
If you are lucky enough to get it to bloom, you may see the fruit the
size of large peas and bright peacock blue. Nestled amongst the leaves,
these strange-looking berries will certainly make an impression. Zone
7. Japan. |
| Ophiopogon japonicus 'Silver Dragon' is a variegated form that doesn't really look much like the species. The leaves on this one are narrow and upright, and of course has white-variegated leaves. | |
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Ophiopogon
planiscapus 'Nigrescens' may also be known as 'Ebony Knight',
'Black Dragon', or 'Arabicus'. This has to be the blackest of black plants,
and certainly among the most attractive. Some jade green may be seen on
new growth near the center, but otherwise the foot-tall mound is entirely
black. A wonderful specimen plant in a shady area, it has a reputation
for being extremely slow-growing. However, we have had reports from coastal
residents that it grows quite rapidly in sandy soils. Zone 6. We've not
yet been able to get our potted plants to grow rapidly, though, so expect
small plants. |
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Origanum 'Amethyst Falls' -- Like 'Kent Beauty' below, this Oregano is grown for its attractive appearance, but its distinctly fragrant leaves can be used in cooking as well. Grows to a foot or more tall and twice as wide, sporting long-lasting amethyst flowers in layered chartreuse bracts, reminiscent of hops. Drought resistant. Zones 5-9.
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Origanum 'Kent Beauty' is a fast-growing subshrub with rounded leaves. Just 4-6 in. tall, it spreads to 2 ft. In June, masses of small mauve flowers appear, surrounded by much larger light green to rose-pink bracts, which are the real show. Spectacular in hanging baskets or trailing over a wall. Needs sun and well-drained soil. Blooms for weeks. Zone 5. |
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Ornithogalum longibracteatum -- Pregnant Onion -- This plant has been proliferating unattended in our greenhouses for years, but we've seldom bothered to offer it. We assumed that, being so easy and prolific, everybody else must have it in their catalogs. Apparently not, but those who do offer it say it's very popular. So here it is, a bulb that sits mainly above the ground, giving birth to tiny copies of itself that develop just beneath the thin, transparent 'onion' skin. When sufficiently large, the green strap leaves give rise to a very long spike, at the end of which resides a spearhead of tiny white flowers. Just put it in a sunny window and leave it alone. |
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Oxalis
megalorhizza, Galapagos Sorrel is.a tropical Oxalis from the Galapagos
Islands, with pale yellow flowers that stand above the rounded, rather
succulent, glossy green leaves. The stem becomes enlarged and rough, covered
by brown leaf scales, so the plant can come to resemble a miniature tree,
often gnarled and twisted, with ersatz bonsai potential, or just as an
oddity from the place where oddities showed Darwin how species originated.
Not shipped to zones 9 and 10, where it would be invasive. |
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Oxalis purpurea -- Deep Rose -- There are many variations of O. purpurea, but this one has to be among the prettiest. Three-lobed deep green leaves are topped in winter by short-stemmed, widely funnel-shaped, very shapely rose pink flowers. We found this at the Kunming Botanical Gardens in China, but it originated in South Africa. Zone 9 or a cool greenhouse for this winter-bloomer. Summer dormant. |
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