Mondo grass, cactus aren’t suited to pots
T H E A R I Z ONA R E P U B L I C
S AT U R D AY , J U N E 1, 2 013
Question: I am writing to ask what to do with three mondo grass plants that I keep in 12-inch containers. At first I had them in bright sun for most of the morning. When some blades of grass turned yellow, I moved them into the shade. The blades are still yellow on two of them. Do I trim the yellow blades off or is there something I need to add to them to get them green again?
Answer: Mondo grass, or Ophiopogon japonicas, is an evergreen 6-8 inch clumping grass-like plant. Mondo grass does well in the shade in the lower deserts. I would not attempt to grow this plant in a pot.
Mondo grass spreads by underground stems, and it is more likely to dry out in a container. It is useful in shaded areas where traditional grass will not grow. I like to use it in swaths under a tree for a cool “oasis” look. It looks great with plants such as nandina, cycads, aucuba and cleyera, which do well here in full shade. When planted in a mass, mondo grass can act like a connector plant that anchors an area.
Q: We live in the town of Maricopa. The cactus we are concerned about is the tall one in the photo. We bought it when it was just a few inches tall, planted in a decorator bowl. We don’t even know what it is called.
We transplanted it about 4 years ago when it was about a foot tall and had outgrown the bowl. Now it is 4 feet tall KNOW YOUR DESERT GARDEN with a 5-inch circumference at the base and 10 inches at the area where the arms branch off. It has started to grow small arms near the base.
Our question is what to do. It is staked because it is top-heavy. We are afraid it is going to break off. Can we cut it where the new ones are growing and let it start over? If we cut it off, can we replant the stem and top part to help it balance out?
A: I would suggest removing the plant from the planter. That variety of cactus can grow quite large and should have its own pot or be planted in the garden in a sunny spot with some afternoon sun protection.
Q: We have a small backyard and large swimming pool. What species of tree can we plant that will not produce a lot of litter for the pool? We would like something attractive and easy-care, with year-round foliage and requiring low water maintenance.
My garden book shows Valley zoning to be appropriate for redbud trees. Do you have any suggestions?
A: This is one of the most commonly asked questions in the Valley. I have suggested many types of trees for gardens with pools, mainly from my own past experience. I would not suggest a redbud. First of all, it is deciduous and it will drop leaf litter and blooms under its canopy and surrounding area.
I am also asking people to let me know what part of town they live in when they ask horticultural questions. Your location in the Valley determines a lot. If you are out in the suburbs I would not suggest the sub-tropical species I might for the central core.
For all areas of the Valley, an evergreen tree that does well and has minimum litter is the live oak. The heritage live oak or Quercus fusiformisdoes well in the lower deserts and is a tough yet beautiful addition to the landscape. I’ve planted many of these in my garden near a pool. Evergreen live oaks are found in canyons in the Superstition Mountains and at higher elevations throughout the southwest. I think esthetically they are a nice contrast to palo verde and mesquite.