Bamboo-like stems carry evergreen leaves that take on fire-like hues, followed by white summer flowers and red berries that hang on all winter. Sacred bamboo (Nandina domestica) is an easy shrub for a border, a pot or a balcony — give it light rather than permanent shade, since sunlight is what colours the foliage.
| Name | Nandina domestica |
|---|---|
| Family | Berberidaceae |
| Type | Shrub |
| Height | 3 to 6 feet (1 to 2 m) |
| Exposure | Full sun, part sun |
| Soil | Ordinary |
| Foliage | Evergreen |
| Flowering | early summer to midsummer |
Nandina domestica is also called “Sacred bamboo”, because its leaves and stems look like those of bamboo.
Ideally, you’d plant your Nandina domestica in fall or anytime up to spring while avoiding frost spells. If you must plant it in the sun, avoid places that would be too hot and if possible favor light shade. Also keep it away from permanent shade, since direct sunlight is what colors the leaves.
Growth for Nandina domestica feels particularly slow at the beginning, but then it tends to speed up once the specimen has settled in well. To ensure proper regrowth and vigor for your Nandina domestica:
It isn’t really necessary to prune Nandina domestica. If you wish to reduce or rebalance the branches, trim your Nandina just after it has finished blooming.
Nandina domestica tolerates drought quite well.
Nandina domestica, when winters are mild enough for it to keep its foliage on the branches all year long, will gracefully color your garden with fire-like hues. White flowers appear at the beginning of summer, but they don’t stand out much compared to those of other shrubs.
Nandina domestica also produces red-colored berries at the end of fall which often stay on the tree for the entire winter. Watch out, though: they’re toxic because of one of their compounds called nandenine. All the parts of the plant are in fact toxic for us humans – but not for birds! Birds love them!
Sacred bamboo, perhaps because of its toxicity, has also been used for its health benefits, especially in Asia. There, it’s prescribed as a light sedative, but it also has astringent properties, and is said to greatly help wounded muscles and bones.
It’s an easy shrub to grow, and will also do very well in a pot or garden box on your terrace or balcony. Mulch the base of the shrub to keep it moist and cool. Mulch also helps avoid weed growth, especially for potted specimens.
| Variety | Foliage | Size band | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| ‘Alba’ | Green, turning red in autumn | Tall, to 6 ft (2 m) | Creamy-white berries |
| ‘Umpqua Chief’ | Green, red autumn tints | Tall, over 5 ft (150 cm) | Heavy fruiting |
| ‘Obsessed’ | Colour shifts with the season | Medium | Year-round foliage interest |
| ‘Twilight’ | Green and red variegated | Medium | Variegated foliage |
| ‘Filamentosa’ | Mottled yellow, green and red | Small | Pots and raised beds |
| ‘Fire Power’ | Green stained red | Small | Pots and raised beds |
| ‘Lemon Lime’ | Light lime-green | Small | Bright foliage contrast |
| ‘Plum Purple’ | Purple-dominant | Small | Purple foliage |
| ‘Purpurea Nana’ | Purple-tinted | Dwarf, under 2 ft (60 cm) | Ground cover, pots |
| ‘Harbor Dwarf’ | Green, red winter tints | Dwarf | Ground cover |
There are so many cultivars that we can’t list them all here, but each one will thrill you with its unique characteristics.
Plant daffodil or tulip at the base of the tree to create clustered spots of color in winter.
