Monkey Grass vs. Mondo Grass: What’s the Difference?​

When you want to add substance to your garden, incorporating easy-to-manage grassy plants helps your garden aesthetically and prevents soil erosion. Two top-notch options are monkey grass and mondo grass, which are some of the most affordable ground cover choices. If you need help deciding which will work best in your yard, consider consulting a lawn care professional. Let’s dig into the key differences between monkey and mondo grasses.

Monkey Grass vs. Mondo Grass: Key Differences

Monkey grass and mondo grass are beautiful filler plants that add pizzazz to any garden. Monkey grass tends to be taller, lighter green plants that are perfect for plant lovers looking for a full-sun plant. Mondo grass is darker green and acts more as a ground cover, perfect for garden borders and slightly shadier parts of your garden. 

What Is Monkey Grass?​

Monkey grass is an ornamental grass that grows in various conditions and is easy to maintain. It’s a fast-growing plant perfect for gardeners looking to cover large, empty areas. Check out the pros and cons of planting monkey grass.

Best for: 

• Shady garden areas

• Gardeners looking to cover large expanses 

• Gardeners looking for a low-maintenance plant

• Drought-resistant areas 

Pros of Monkey Grass

Monkey grass is an easy-to-care-for plant that acts as ground cover in many gardens. Monkey grass is a traditional grass replacement that spreads easily and grows in most climates. It grows best in USDA hardiness zones four through 10 and appreciates full or partial sun. In some cases, it also adapts well to more shaded gardens.

Monkey grass also grows well in shallow soil and even areas traditionally difficult to garden, such as slopes. In these instances, it acts as an erosion preventer. Your plants won’t grow very tall, with many reaching 18 inches in height and 24 inches wide when the plant is fully mature. 

Cons of Monkey Grass

With any quick-spreading plant, if not controlled, it can become an invasive plant. Monkey grass is no different. If you plant more than necessary, it can take over your garden and kill other plants due to its quickly spreading root system. 

While monkey grass is a fairly forgiving plant, there are certain regions where it doesn’t grow. Desert-like locations prone to extreme heat and completely shaded areas aren’t the right locations for monkey grass. The plant can tolerate some shade but does best in partial shade to full sun.

What Is Mondo Grass?

Mondo grass is a Japanese plant used as a base plant and ground cover. It produces purple, lily-like flowers in the summer. It’s a relatively easy plant to maintain but it requires special attention when it comes to watering. Here are the pros and cons associated with mondo grass.

Best for: 

• Gardens in the Southern parts of the U.S.

• Ornamental gardens

• Ground cover

• Shadier gardens

Pros of Mondo Grass

Mondo grass is more ornate than other grass family members, producing beautiful flowers in the summer. While it needs a healthy amount of water after planting, it’s a relatively easy plant to care for and works well in many different garden scapes. 

Mondo grass can be planted in partial or full sun, making it ideal for warmer climates. Since it flowers and grows berries, this plant is ideal for birds but still resistant to critters like rabbits. 

Cons of Mondo Grass

Mondo grass is slightly fussier than monkey grass, requiring constantly moist soil, particularly after planting. Plus, it doesn’t grow well in some Northern regions of the country, but it’s also not drought tolerant in warmer clients. It tends to do well in growing USDA hardiness zones six through 11. 

While mondo grass appreciates water, it still needs well-drained soil to prevent root rot and to establish fully. Additionally, gardeners must prepare to plant many mondo grass plants if they want to cover a substantial area, as the plant doesn’t grow very large. If you need help understanding the best planting method, work with a lawn care expert near you to ensure your mondo grass grows correctly. 

Monkey Grass vs. Mondo Grass

Monkey grass and mondo grass are worthy competitors, each offering substantial ground cover. One isn’t necessarily better than the other, but different types of gardeners will appreciate the different features of each plant. 

Appearance​: Tie

Both monkey grass and mondo grass are attractive plants, but the eye is in the beholder. Some gardeners prefer the shorter, darker greens that mondo grass provides while others like monkey grass’ taller plants better. 

Durability​​: Monkey Grass

Both monkey grass and mondo grass are durable plants, but monkey grass grows better in more climate zones. 

Price​: Tie

At local and big-box garden centers, monkey grass and mondo grass are about the same in price. The price of these ground cover plants hover around $13 each. 

Ease of Planting: Tie 

Both plants are relatively easy to plant, and both grow root systems fairly quickly. Gardeners looking for plants that take over large areas will appreciate both monkey and mondo grass for how easily it adapts to new environments.

Maintenance​: Monkey Grass

Monkey grass is slightly easier to care for than mondo grass. It’s more drought tolerant and can grow in shade, full sun, and partial sun in many areas of the country.