Heavenly Bamboo, Nandina (Nandina domestica)

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smiln32 Oklahoma City, OK(Zone 7a) Jul 15, 2002

With berries

Common name: Heavenly Bamboo, Nandina
Family: Berberidaceae
Genus: Nandina
Species domestica

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Post #36088
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eyesoftexas Toadsuck, TX(Zone 7a) Jul 15, 2002

Very nice.....but isn't this terribly invasive?

"eyes"

Post #303356
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suncatcheracres Old Town, FL Nov 13, 2003

In reply to the above comment, I do not know where the native plant people--and I love and grow many native plants--have gotten the idea that this plant is invasive. Perhaps because Nandina is planted everywhere in the Deep Sout. People love it because it is a low maintenance, beautiful, bamboo look-a-like--its nickname is "Heavenly Bamboo"--that is evergreen and obviously produces beautiful berries. Its delicate, airy foilage adds contrast to shrub and flower borders, and it comes in all sizes, with many cultivars, to fit any gardener's needs.

I have lived in many states in the South: Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia and Florida, and I have never seen this plant growing in the wild, ever. And I belong to the Audubon Club, and various other nature and gardening groups which take a lot of outdoor excursions. If I had, I would have promptly dug it up and taken it home, as this plant is a slow grower and expensive to buy from a plant nursery!

Post #708324
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htop San Antonio, TX(Zone 8b) Nov 13, 2003

On Jul 30, 2003, htop wrote:
This variety spreads through underground runners and seeds. There is a variety that is less invasive, but I do not know the variety's name at this time. I wished I had known this fact before planting this variety.

I heavily mulch around the plants and pull any new sprouts (100s) from seeds before they have time to root deeply. Any unwanted sprouts from runners must be pulled up hard enough to locate the point at which the runner has originated at the base of the "mother" plant. Then, it can be chopped off (I use a long nose shovel or a heavy duty pruning shear). Every year, I cut off the berry clumps before they mature and fall to discourage seed sprouting. Stray seed sprouts can be killed with Roundup. Stray runner sprouts can be killed with Roundup if the runner has been severed from the "mother" plant. Any manner of removal of new sprouts is difficult when they are intermingled with other plantings. These are beautiful plants, but this variety takes a lot of work to keep them from taking over the beds.

The berries can be mildy toxic to cats and other grazing animals.

11/13/02
All my brothers (6) planted heavenly bamboo and have had the same experience with it. I love the plant and keep it as a bed's background. I would not post something that is not true to mislead people.

This message was edited Thursday, Nov 13th 11:30 PM

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