How do you recognise Heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica)?

Leaf

BotBln · CC BY-SA 3.0

Heavenly bamboo

Nandina domestica Thunb.

Also known as: Sacred bamboo, Nandina

Family: Berberidaceae

1 to 2 m tall

Planted as a specimen or in borders, ordinary well-drained soils

Flowering: June – July

Full sun

Part shade

Fairly hardy, to about -15°C

❓ How do you recognise this plant?

Despite its nickname of heavenly bamboo and an upright habit reminiscent of bamboo, nandina is not related to bamboos at all — it is a close relative of barberry, in the barberry family (Berberidaceae).

🍃 Leaves

Evergreen, finely divided, fern-like, taking on red tints in winter

🌸 Flowers

White, small, grouped in large upright panicles

🍎 Fruits

Small bright red berry, persisting all winter in decorative clusters

🪵 Bark

Upright, sparsely branched stems, reminiscent of bamboo without being one

🗺️ Distribution

Native to East Asia; widely planted in France as an ornamental shrub

🐝 Value for pollinators

Nectar-rich flowering, visited by small foraging insects

✂️ Horticultural uses

Ornamental shrub planted for its graphic foliage that changes colour with the seasons and its clusters of red winter berries

⚠️ Possible toxicity

Berries toxic to many animals, notably fruit-eating birds in large quantity and cats

🌱 Known cultivars

Firepower

Dwarf nandina (about 50-60 cm) with lime foliage in spring turning a brilliant bright red in autumn and winter; it neither flowers nor fruits, so has no berries (unlike the type species).

Gulf Stream

Compact, dense nandina (about 1 m) with coppery foliage in spring turning red-orange in autumn; rounded, regular shape, berry-free, widely used in low borders.

🌿 Other Berberidaceae to discover

ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.

🌱 This database is constantly evolving — species and information are added and corrected regularly. Spotted a mistake? Report it below.