Denise VanSandt-Boyd

Many gardeners choose to use the amazing red berries of the Nandina domestica (flowering plant in the family of Berberidaceae, native to Eastern Asia) for fall or winter decoration in the home. The berries can be placed in dry vases by themselves as a singular grouping or used in floral arrangements to bring color and texture to your holiday table. The expected watered vase life is an average minimum of four days with proper care and handling. What everyone forgets, however, is that all parts of the nandina are toxic. The berries contain high levels of cyanide, and when consumed in quantity can be toxic to wild birds and other animals, including pets.

Nandina domestica, commonly called heavenly bamboo or sacred bamboo, is an ornamental upright evergreen shrub known for its beautiful bright red berries. It has a cane-like growth and can grow 6 to 8 feet tall and 4 to 6 fee wide. However, the dwarf version, Harbor Dwarf, forms a dense mound about 18 inches in height, has smaller leaves and more branches than the regular species. Tiny creamy flower clusters occur in late spring and later become the red berries for next year’s crop.

Nandina grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 9 and can grow in full sun to shade. However, it prefers it hot. It grows in a range of soil types, but it prefers moist, well-drained, fertile soil. It is adaptable to extremes of soil and exposure, however if leaves of the plants grown in alkaline soil turn sickly yellow, remedy with iron sulfate. It is relatively pest and disease free.

This old-fashioned favorite evergreen shrub has lacy bronze-copper leaves and sprays of colorful red berries in fall and winter. It has unbranched, upright canes, but can become leggy unless pruned. The gardener should consider taking out about 20 to 30% of random stalks each year around the end of January in order to maintain a well-shaped bushy plant. Cut the stalks at staggered heights, leaving the remaining stalks to remain at full height.

It is drought-tolerant, shade-tolerant, slightly salt-tolerant and particularly resistant to damage by deer. Plant it as an informal hedge or border. It does best in groupings or mass plantings for maximum impact in the landscape. Nandina is not easy to grow from seed, so cuttings are the best way to propagate this appealing shrub. Tip cuttings in summer are perfect, and you’ll find they will root fairly easily in a good quality propagation mix.

The Smith County Master Gardener program is a volunteer organization in connection with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.