Read a commented snake beard profile here with explanations of growth and beautiful varieties. There are useful tips on how to properly plant and care for black snake grass.
What characterizes the snake's beard (Ophiopogon planiscapus)?
The snake's beard (Ophiopogon planiscapus) is a ground-covering, evergreen perennial from the asparagus family. It grows in a loose grassy form, reaches a height of 10-20 cm and forms grass-like leaves. The flowering period extends from June to September and features grape-shaped, bell-shaped flowers.
Profile
- Scientific name: Ophiopogon planiscapus
- Family: Asparagus family (Asparagaceae)
- Origin: Asia
- Growth type: Perennial
- Growth habit: loose grass, ground-covering
- Growth height: 10 cm to 20 cm
- Leaf: grassy, evergreen
- Flower: racemose, bell-shaped
- Fruit: Berry
- Toxicity: slightly toxic
- Winter hardiness: hardy
- Use: ground cover, underplanting, edging
Growth
Snakebeard is an Asian perennial with the appearance of ornamental grass. Botanically, Ophiopogon planiscapus belongs to the asparagus family (Asparagaceae) and is distantly related to lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) or elephant foot (Beaucarnea). The hallmark of the Japanese ornamental plant is its extravagant growth with these characteristics:
- Growth type: evergreen perennial with an ornamental grass look, bell-shaped flowers in summer, blue-black berries in autumn.
- Growth habit: upright, arching, loose-bushy, cushion-forming.
- Height: 10 cm to 20 cm, rarely up to 30 cm.
- Growth width: 20 cm to 30 cm, rarely up to 100 cm.
- Roots: short, thickened rhizomes with runners.
- Ghorticulturally interesting properties: easy to care for, hardy, shade-tolerant, cut-resistant, sensitive to lime, soil-covering, slightly poisonous fruits, beautiful bedding and pot plant.
Leaf
Decorative leaves with these characteristics sprout all year round directly from the thickened rhizome:
- Leaf shape: lanceolate with rounded tip, entire margins.
- Leaf color: dark green (original species), dark purple-red to black or green-yellow-striped (varieties).
- Leaf length: 20 cm to 40 cm, occasionally up to 65 cm.
- Leaf width: 0.7 cm to 1.5 cm, rarely up to 2 cm.
Video: This is what black-leaf snakebeard looks like
Bloom
Until the flowering period begins, evergreen snake's beard can hardly be distinguished from ornamental grass such as Japanese sedges (Carex morrowii). Its botanical status as a perennial is revealed when these flowers unfurl:
- Inflorescence: Raceme with nodding individual flowers.
- Single flower: short-stemmed, bell-shaped.
- Flower color: bright white to a delicate violet tint.
- Flowering time: June to September.
Fruit
Decorative finish of a snake's beard flowering period are ornamental fruits with these attributes:
- Fruit type: Berry with 1 to 4 seeds.
- Fruit color: steel blue to blue-black.
- Fruit size: pea size
- Special feature: slightly poisonous, not edible.
Species and varieties
The green-leaved original species Ophiopogon planiscapus primarily functions as a floral template for the breeding of spectacular cultivars. The following table introduces you to the snake beard ancestor and two of its best-known varieties:
| Species and varieties | Snakebeard (original species) | Black-leaved Snakebeard | Dark-leaved Snakebeard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Botanical name | Ophiopogon planiscapus | Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Niger’ | Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Black Dragon’ |
| Leaf Color | dark green | black, dark green base | blackgreen |
| Growth height | 10-20 cm | 10-20 cm | 20-40 cm |
| Growth width | 20-30 cm | 20-30 cm | 20-30 cm |
| Flower color | bright white with light purple shimmer | soft violet | pale violet |
| Fruit decorations | steel blue | blueblack | black violet |
Contemporary garden design has discovered black snakebeard grass. The dark-leaved perennial blends sensationally into the light gravel areas of Japanese gardens. Planted in a white pot, black-leaved snake's beard sets stylish accents in the Zen garden on the balcony. Modern living space design favors the easy-care perennial as a popular houseplant.
Planting snake beard
The best time to plant snake beard is in spring. From the end of February you can buy the ready-to-plant perennials in tree nurseries and perennial nurseries. Standard market prices for pottery range between 9.90 euros and 18.90 euros. Where and how to plant black snake beard grass correctly, read here:
Location
Ideally, the snakebeard perennial is planted in partial shade. The leaf color fades in a sunny location. Shady locations are acknowledged with a sparse flowering period.
Good to know: Local light intensity is closely related to leaf color. Black snakebeard develops its optimum at 800 to 1000 lux. Striped species need more light at 1200 to 1600 lux.
Soil, substrate
Decorative snake beard growth all year round benefits from these soil and substrate qualities:
- In the bed: humus-rich, loose-drained garden soil, fresh to moist, slightly acidic.
- In the pot: Mix of peat-free rhododendron soil, compost soil, coconut fiber substrate and lava granules.
- Optimal pH value: 5.8 to 6.5
Planting Tips
Snakebeard is easy to plant. These planting tips point out important details:
- Before planting, place the root ball in rainwater until no more air bubbles appear.
- The planting hole is 1.5 times larger than the potted root ball.
- The planting distance is 20 cm to 25 cm, or 15 to 17 plants per m².
- Fill in pot substrate over a finger-thick layer of expanded clay as drainage.
Did you know that drought stress is the most common cause of snake beard not growing? Therefore, water the perennial regularly on the day of planting and afterwards.
Excursus
Combine Black Snake Beard – Tips
With its dark tuft of leaves, snakebeard makes yellow-leaved neighbors shine. Recommended combination partners are: gold outdoor fuchsia (Fuchsia magellanica var. gracilis 'Aurea'), yellow fluttering grass (Milium effusum 'Aureum') or the gold hosta (Hosta 'June Fever'). As an underplant, black-leaved snakebeard 'Black Dragon' harmonizes impressively with golden-yellow maple species, such as Japanese maple (Acer palmatum 'Aureum')
Grooming snake beard
In protected partial shade, a snake's beard perennial proves to be very easy to care for. The following tips will familiarize you with all the important care measures:
Pouring
- Keep the soil and substrate evenly moist all year round.
- Watering primarily with collected rainwater or stale tap water.
Fertilize
- Fertilize bedding plants in March and June with compost and horn shavings, do not rake in, but rain on them.
- Fertilize potted plants every 2 weeks from April to the beginning of August with an organic liquid fertilizer (e.g. Oscorna Animalin (€40.00 on Amazon)).
Cutting
- Do not cut back the evergreen snake's beard perennial.
- Pluck or cut isolated, dried leaves from the tuft of leaves in February/March.
- Extra tip: Clean out wilted inflorescences in the family garden to prevent poisonous berries from forming that tempt small children to snack on them.
Wintering
- Cover Ophiopogon planiscapus in the bed with coniferous twigs or breathable fleece (there is a risk of rot under a layer of leaves).
- Snake's beard should be hibernated in a bright, frost-free pot at 8° to 10° Celsius.
- Winter care: water when it is dry (in the bed on frost-free days), no longer fertilize from August.
Propagate
- Propagate snakebeard perennial by division in March/April.
- Break the root ball into pieces with 10 to 15 leaves.
- Plant sections in a partially shaded location or in a pot with substrate.
Diseases and pests
- Common pests: lice, spider mites, thrips and thunderfly larvae.
- If the underside of the leaves is infested: rinse off the parasites and spray the leaves with a soap and alcohol solution.
- If there are additional leaf spots on the upper side: remove leaves affected by advanced pest infestation.
Popular varieties
Beyond the top cultivars in the profile list above, these beautiful snake beard varieties are vying for your favor:
- Japanese snake's beard (Ophiopogon japonicus): grass-like small perennial, dark green to black-green leaves, white, light purple iridescent bell flowers from July to August, followed by rich blue berries in autumn.
- Little Snakebeard 'Minor': dark green dwarf variety with white bell flowers and steel-blue fruits, height 5 cm to 10 cm, width 10 cm to 20 cm.
- Nigrescens: Premium variety impresses with dark purple-violet leaves, pink-white pearl flowers and black-blue berries.
- Little Tabby: rare variegated variety with dark green, white-edged leaves, white flowers and dark blue fruits.
FAQ
Is black snake beard hardy?
In the right location, planted Black Snakebeard (Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Niger') is hardy down to -20° Celsius. Light winter protection is recommended to protect against cold frost, blazing winter sun and other capricious weather conditions. As a potted plant, the small Asian perennial is vulnerable to frost damage and should overwinter in bright, frost-free winter quarters.
Is there black grass?
Behind the appearance of black grasses lies what is probably the blackest perennial ever. It is the black-leaved snakebeard 'Niger'. The grass-like, black-green leaves can hardly be distinguished from an ornamental grass. The progenitor of the spectacular variety is the green-leaved snake's-beard species Ophiopogon planiscapus, which is native to Asia.
My green snake beard has turned brown after the winter. What to do?
The damage described indicates two causes. Either your snake beard has suffered frost damage or sunburn. In both cases the leaves are irreversibly damaged. Cut the perennial back to a hand's width above the ground. With the beginning of the new growth phase, fresh leaves sprout.
