Black Mondo & the Fuchsia
Saturday, November 15, 2025
What’s in flower at the Fuchsietum? Fuchsia ‘Dying Embers’ paired with some black mondo grass, Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens'.
I find it’s hard to successfully incorporate black mondo’s dark negativity into a garden but here it works well against the sultry carmine red calyx and almost black corolla of this fuchsia.
The previous owners had underplanted two variegated boxwoods at the bottom of the walk to the house with tons of the stuff. The contrast was especially grating to the eye. I removed it all.
Not to worry, though. The large lot was eagerly rescued by the Danger Garden. It found a far better and more appropriate home there.
As these things go when trying to banish a plant from sight, shoots of it kept popping up. I find it works OK as an accent coupled with sympathetic companions in planters. I saved a remnant for that.
A second small collection of resistance got stuck in front of ‘Dying Embers’. Provisionally. It’s worked out so it can stay there. It does seem to spread out a little by short underground stolons. Not as vigorously as some other flora no grata but that’s not an issue in this spot.
One interesting characteristic is that its flowers are actually fragrant. Who knew. It’s always sold for the novelty of its color. The scent is sort of like lily-of-the-valley but less cloying. I’ve carefully yanked them out, to keep the stems long, and put them into small vases in the same way.
I find it’s hard to successfully incorporate black mondo’s dark negativity into a garden but here it works well against the sultry carmine red calyx and almost black corolla of this fuchsia.
The previous owners had underplanted two variegated boxwoods at the bottom of the walk to the house with tons of the stuff. The contrast was especially grating to the eye. I removed it all.
Not to worry, though. The large lot was eagerly rescued by the Danger Garden. It found a far better and more appropriate home there.
As these things go when trying to banish a plant from sight, shoots of it kept popping up. I find it works OK as an accent coupled with sympathetic companions in planters. I saved a remnant for that.
A second small collection of resistance got stuck in front of ‘Dying Embers’. Provisionally. It’s worked out so it can stay there. It does seem to spread out a little by short underground stolons. Not as vigorously as some other flora no grata but that’s not an issue in this spot.
One interesting characteristic is that its flowers are actually fragrant. Who knew. It’s always sold for the novelty of its color. The scent is sort of like lily-of-the-valley but less cloying. I’ve carefully yanked them out, to keep the stems long, and put them into small vases in the same way.
