{"id":"ophiopogon-japonicum","license":"CC-BY-4.0","data":{"scientificName":"Ophiopogon japonicum","commonNames":["Monkeygrass"],"taxonRank":"species","acceptedName":"Ophiopogon japonicus","family":"Asparagaceae","ids":{"usdaSymbol":"OPJA","gbifKey":2774158,"itisTsn":506477,"wikidataQid":"Q537448","inatTaxonId":200061},"states":["VA"],"statusAssertions":[{"status":"introduced-established","channel":"ecological","geography":{"grain":"aggregate-region","regions":["L48"]},"source":"us-riis-v2","sourceRecordId":"USRIIS-L48-Plantae12736","sourceVersion":"2.0 (November 2022)","asOf":"2022-10-23T00:00:00.000Z","sourceModified":"2020-02-21T00:00:00.000Z","sourceTaxon":{"name":"Ophiopogon japonicus","rank":"species","rawRank":"Species"},"sourceDesignation":{"code":"C3","label":"established (category C3)"},"associatedReferences":["Kleunen et al. (2018), https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ecy.2542"],"taxonProjection":{"basis":"accepted-name","notes":"exact source identifier, rank, family, and scientific/accepted name"}}],"hardinessAssertions":[{"minimum":"6","maximum":"9","interpretation":"explicit-range","precision":"whole-zone","zoneMapping":"source-stated","applicability":"applicable","source":"msu-e2948","sourceRecordId":"perennial:Ophiopogon japonicum","sourceTaxon":"Ophiopogon japonicum","taxonMatch":"exact","sourcePlacement":"Table 1, perennial row","sourceVersion":"New, January 2007","asOf":"2026-08-26T00:00:00.000Z"}],"plantForm":"groundcover","photo":{"file":"/images/plants/ophiopogon-japonicum.jpg","sourceUrl":"https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/66896474","observationUrl":"https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/42142421","license":"cc-by-sa","attribution":"(c) Colin Meurk, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)","fetchedOn":"2026-08-23T00:00:00.000Z"},"evidence":[{"source":"va-firescapes","verdict":"recommend","verdictRaw":"L flammability","claims":"Good for erosion control, drought tolerant. Prefers warm climates.","edition":"2009","url":"http://web.archive.org/web/20090709143736/http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/430/430-300/430-300.pdf","accessedOn":"2026-08-23T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"ut-sp685","verdict":"recommend","verdictRaw":"listed Firewise plant","original":"va-firescapes","url":"https://utia.tennessee.edu/publications/wp-content/uploads/sites/269/2023/10/SP685.pdf","accessedOn":"2026-08-23T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"msu-e2948","verdict":"recommend","verdictRaw":"considered wildfire-resistant and are recommended for Michigan’s climate","claims":"Table 1 row: Ophiopogon japonicum (Mondo grass).","edition":"New, January 2007","url":"https://web.archive.org/web/20070714035839/http://www.firewise.org/usa/files/mi_wildfire_resistant.pdf","documentDate":"2007-01-01T00:00:00.000Z","accessedOn":"2026-08-25T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"sun-city-tx-firewise-plant-guide-2015","verdict":"recommend","verdictRaw":"low","claims":"The table rates Monkey Grass — Ophiopogon japonicus low for flammability hazard, defined as the ease a plant can burn at high temperatures for a prolonged time.","plantPart":"whole-plant","sourcePlacement":{"value":"Groundcover","scheme":"Sun City plant-table sections"},"edition":"updated January 14, 2015","url":"http://web.archive.org/web/20250114065810/https://www.sariverauthority.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/FIREWISE-PLANT-LIST-Sun-City.pdf","documentDate":"2015-01-14T00:00:00.000Z","accessedOn":"2026-08-25T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"mdfs-firewise-landscaping-plants","verdict":"recommend","verdictRaw":"relatively resistant to fire","claims":"Listed as Ophiopogon japonicus (Monkeygrass, Dwarf Mondo Grass); Ophiopogon japonicus (Monkeygrass, Dwarf Mondo Grass). The source says listed species exhibit stronger resistance to ignition by wildfires. Source comments: Good for erosion control in warm climates. Drought tolerant Good erosion control, drought tolerant. Prefers warm climates","plantPart":"whole-plant","sourcePlacement":{"value":"Ground Covers; Herbaceous Annuals and Perennials","scheme":"Maryland Firewise plant-form tables"},"edition":"2015 archived PDF","url":"https://web.archive.org/web/20250408035155/https://dnr.maryland.gov/forests/documents/fire/firewise_plants.pdf","documentDate":"2015-01-08T00:00:00.000Z","accessedOn":"2026-08-25T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"canberra-plant-selector","verdict":"recommend","verdictRaw":"Fire Retardant — Yes — Ophiopogon japonicus","claims":"The live Canberra Plant Selector marks “Ophiopogon japonicus” as “Fire Retardant: Yes.”","plantPart":"whole-plant","sourcePlacement":{"value":"filtered result page 13","scheme":"canberra-selector"},"edition":"live tool capture 2026-08-25","url":"https://plantselector.com.au/browse-plants/?fire_retardant%5B0%5D=1","accessedOn":"2026-08-25T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"al-afc-firewise-woodland-homes-2001","verdict":"recommend","verdictRaw":"Suggested ground covers: Mondo Grass — Ophiopogon japonicus","claims":"The booklet explicitly places this row in one or more suggested-plant sections.","plantPart":"whole-plant","sourcePlacement":{"value":"Suggested ground covers","scheme":"al-afc-booklet-section"},"edition":"2002 archived booklet","url":"https://web.archive.org/web/20020913055904/http://www.forestry.state.al.us/publication/FIREWISE_LANDSCAPING_FOR_WOODLAND_HOMES.pdf","documentDate":"2002-02-25T00:00:00.000Z","accessedOn":"2026-08-25T00:00:00.000Z"}],"flammabilityClass":"fire-resistant","ratingReason":"consensus","recommendation":"on-list","author":"grayson-graham","reviewStatus":"draft","lastVerified":"2026-08-23T00:00:00.000Z","reviewNotes":"Photo auto-selected (top-voted iNat); human review pending."},"localAssessmentInputs":{"stateDistribution":["VA"],"nativeStates":[],"rangeAssertions":[{"relation":"documented-occurrence","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["VA"]},"provenance":"legacy-field"}],"usdaZoneMin":null,"usdaZoneMax":null,"hardinessAssertions":[{"minimum":"6","maximum":"9","interpretation":"explicit-range","precision":"whole-zone","zoneMapping":"source-stated","applicability":"applicable","source":"msu-e2948","sourceRecordId":"perennial:Ophiopogon japonicum","sourceTaxon":"Ophiopogon japonicum","taxonMatch":"exact","sourcePlacement":"Table 1, perennial row","sourceVersion":"New, January 2007","asOf":"2026-08-26T00:00:00.000Z","provenance":"cited"}],"hardinessSelection":{"status":"selected","assertion":{"minimum":"6","maximum":"9","interpretation":"explicit-range","precision":"whole-zone","zoneMapping":"source-stated","applicability":"applicable","source":"msu-e2948","sourceRecordId":"perennial:Ophiopogon japonicum","sourceTaxon":"Ophiopogon japonicum","taxonMatch":"exact","sourcePlacement":"Table 1, perennial row","sourceVersion":"New, January 2007","asOf":"2026-08-26T00:00:00.000Z","provenance":"cited"},"assertions":[{"minimum":"6","maximum":"9","interpretation":"explicit-range","precision":"whole-zone","zoneMapping":"source-stated","applicability":"applicable","source":"msu-e2948","sourceRecordId":"perennial:Ophiopogon japonicum","sourceTaxon":"Ophiopogon japonicum","taxonMatch":"exact","sourcePlacement":"Table 1, perennial row","sourceVersion":"New, January 2007","asOf":"2026-08-26T00:00:00.000Z","provenance":"cited"}]},"invasiveIn":[],"statusAssertions":[{"status":"introduced-established","channel":"ecological","geography":{"grain":"aggregate-region","regions":["L48"]},"source":"us-riis-v2","sourceRecordId":"USRIIS-L48-Plantae12736","sourceVersion":"2.0 (November 2022)","asOf":"2022-10-23T00:00:00.000Z","sourceModified":"2020-02-21T00:00:00.000Z","sourceTaxon":{"name":"Ophiopogon japonicus","rank":"species","rawRank":"Species"},"sourceDesignation":{"code":"C3","label":"established (category C3)"},"associatedReferences":["Kleunen et al. (2018), https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ecy.2542"],"taxonProjection":{"basis":"accepted-name","notes":"exact source identifier, rank, family, and scientific/accepted name"},"provenance":"cited"}],"fireEvidenceClass":"fire-resistant","recommendation":"on-list","fireSourceScopes":[{"source":"al-afc-firewise-woodland-homes-2001","sourceName":"Firewise Landscaping for Woodland Homes","sourceUrl":"https://web.archive.org/web/20020913055904/http://www.forestry.state.al.us/publication/FIREWISE_LANDSCAPING_FOR_WOODLAND_HOMES.pdf","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["AL"]},"completeness":"partial","reviewStatus":"reviewed","scope":"The Alabama Forestry Commission's five-page AFC-FP-04 booklet is an Alabama publication and contains 31 printed suggested or fire-prone plant occurrences. FireApproved publishes 27 exact species or genus owners and holds one infraspecific form plus two named cultivars; this historical source scope does not establish current site suitability for a particular Alabama property.","sourceVersion":"AFC-FP-04-1999"},{"source":"mdfs-firewise-landscaping-plants","sourceName":"Firewise Landscaping Plants (Maryland, New Jersey, and West Virginia editions)","sourceUrl":"https://web.archive.org/web/20250408035155/https://dnr.maryland.gov/forests/documents/fire/firewise_plants.pdf","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["MD"]},"completeness":"partial","reviewStatus":"reviewed","scope":"Maryland Forest Service says the list contains plants that can be grown in Maryland and identifies Maryland natives. FireApproved publishes 169 exact source owners from the 180 printed rows; an unrepresentable form and duplicate-owner rows are not broadened. The list calls itself non-comprehensive and does not establish suitability for every Maryland site.","sourceVersion":"Maryland-Firewise-Plants-2015-01-08","asOf":"2015-01-08T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"mdfs-firewise-landscaping-plants","sourceName":"Firewise Landscaping Plants (Maryland, New Jersey, and West Virginia editions)","sourceUrl":"https://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/fire/docs/Firewise_Landscaping_Plants_for_NJ.pdf","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["NJ"]},"completeness":"partial","reviewStatus":"reviewed","scope":"New Jersey DEP publishes a state edition saying the listed plants can be grown in New Jersey and are relatively resistant to fire. Its same 180 printed taxon occurrences map to the 169 conservative owners already normalized for the template family. The list is non-comprehensive and does not establish suitability for every New Jersey site or override the Pinelands Commission's separate placement and fuel-break rules.","sourceVersion":"New-Jersey-Firewise-Landscaping-Plants-archive-2025-09-01"},{"source":"mdfs-firewise-landscaping-plants","sourceName":"Firewise Landscaping Plants (Maryland, New Jersey, and West Virginia editions)","sourceUrl":"https://wvforestry.com/pdf/Firewise%20Landscaping%20Plants%20for%20WV.pdf","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["WV"]},"completeness":"partial","reviewStatus":"reviewed","scope":"West Virginia Division of Forestry publishes a state edition saying the listed plants can be grown in West Virginia and are relatively resistant to fire. Its same 180 printed taxon occurrences map to the 169 conservative owners already normalized for the template family. The list is non-comprehensive and provides no comparative or site-specific rating.","sourceVersion":"West-Virginia-DOF-Firewise-Landscaping-Plants-live-2026-08-26","asOf":"2026-08-26T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"msu-e2948","sourceName":"Wildfire-resistant Landscape Plants for Michigan (Extension Bulletin E2948)","sourceUrl":"https://web.archive.org/web/20070714035839/http://www.firewise.org/usa/files/mi_wildfire_resistant.pdf","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["MI"]},"completeness":"partial","reviewStatus":"reviewed","scope":"Michigan State University Extension Bulletin E2948 is explicitly a list of wildfire-resistant landscape plants for Michigan and includes a Michigan-native field. FireApproved publishes 221 exact GBIF owners from 226 represented source rows and holds 15 complex or non-exact rows. This dated publication scope is not a current site-suitability determination.","sourceVersion":"MSU-Extension-E2948-2007","asOf":"2007-01-01T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"sun-city-tx-firewise-plant-guide-2015","sourceName":"Firewise Plant Guide","sourceUrl":"http://web.archive.org/web/20250114065810/https://www.sariverauthority.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/FIREWISE-PLANT-LIST-Sun-City.pdf","geography":{"grain":"aggregate-region","stateCodes":["TX"],"regions":["Sun City Texas, Georgetown"]},"completeness":"partial","reviewStatus":"reviewed","scope":"The guide is authored for the Sun City Texas community in Georgetown. FireApproved publishes 142 exact owners only as community-level context. It is an archived HOA exhibit with unknown rating lineage, not a current statewide Texas source or an independent Tier 1 determination.","sourceVersion":"Sun-City-Texas-Firewise-guide-2015-01-14","asOf":"2015-01-14T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"ut-sp685","sourceName":"Landscaping Guidelines to Protect Your Home from Wildfire (SP685)","sourceUrl":"https://utia.tennessee.edu/publications/wp-content/uploads/sites/269/2023/10/SP685.pdf","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["TN"]},"completeness":"partial","reviewStatus":"reviewed","scope":"University of Tennessee Extension SP685 is Tennessee landscape guidance and publishes 78 represented plant owners. Most table rows are a carrier of Virginia Firescapes rather than an independent rating; Tennessee source scope does not change that lineage or establish site suitability.","sourceVersion":"UT-Extension-SP685-2006-10-24","asOf":"2006-10-24T00:00:00.000Z"},{"source":"va-firescapes","sourceName":"Virginia Firescapes — Firewise Landscaping for Woodland Homes (430-300)","sourceUrl":"http://web.archive.org/web/20090709143736/http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/430/430-300/430-300.pdf","geography":{"grain":"state","stateCodes":["VA"]},"completeness":"partial","reviewStatus":"reviewed","scope":"Virginia Cooperative Extension's publication opens with Virginia wildfire conditions, identifies its Virginia Firewise Landscaping Task Force, and labels plants native to Virginia. FireApproved publishes 306 exact source owners. Publication scope does not establish parcel suitability or current endorsement of this archived 2009 list.","sourceVersion":"Virginia-VCE-430-300-2009","asOf":"2009-04-15T00:00:00.000Z"}],"firePerformanceConditions":[],"maintenanceAssertions":[],"maintenanceConditions":null,"regulatoryReviews":{},"seedReviews":{}},"legacyCompatibilityProjection":{"nativeStates":[],"invasiveIn":[],"usdaZoneMin":"6","usdaZoneMax":"9"},"localAssessmentContract":"Compare each dimension separately. State noxious-weed seed designations are material-scoped and never become non-seed plant restrictions, ecological-invasive findings, nursery restrictions, alternatives, product evidence, or fire votes. Introduced/established context is not an invasive warning. Minimum-only hardiness has no inferred maximum; canonical source-temperature conversion is validated and contradictory applicable rows project no primary zone. L48 context applies only to conterminous states and is never exact-state status. Fire-performance conditions are not maintenance advice. FEIS fire-ecology context does not vote in the plant classification. Absence of a status row is not regulatory clearance."}