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Nandina (Nandina domestica, the only species in its genus) is an erect evergreen shrub with glossy, compound leaves that turn bright red in autumn and new growth that is pink to red in spring. It is grown mainly as an ornamental in gardens and is hardy in USDA zones 6 to 10.
Nandina domestica ( nan-DEE-nə) commonly known as nandina, heavenly bamboo or sacred bamboo, is a species of flowering plant in the family Berberidaceae, native to eastern Asia from the Himalayas to Japan. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Nandina. Despite its name, it is not a true bamboo.
Nandina is widely grown in gardens as an ornamental plant with a number of cultivars that display bright-red fall foliage in the cool months, and attractive new foliage growth in spring. Although a popular ornamental shrub, the berries are toxic to birds, especially towards the end of the winter when other food sources become scarce.
N. domestica has been grown in Chinese and Japanese gardens for centuries. In China, it was noted in the Kaibao Bencao (開寶本草), a Song dynasty materia medica published in 973 CE. In Japan, it was mentioned by Fujiwara no Teika in his diary, the Meigetsuki (1230 CE), where he described it being planted in the imperial garden.
The plant was brought to Western gardens by William Kerr, who sent it to London in his first consignment from Canton, in 1804. English breeders, unsure of its hardiness, kept it in greenhouses at first. The scientific name given to it by Carl Peter Thunberg is a Latinized version of a Japanese name for the plant, nan-ten. Over 65 cultivars have been named in Japan, where the species is particularly popular and a national Nandina society exists. In Shanghai berried sprays of nandina are sold in the streets at New Year, for the decoration of house altars and temples.
All parts of the plant are poisonous, containing compounds that decompose to produce hydrogen cyanide, and could be fatal if ingested. The plant is generally considered non-toxic to humans, but the berries are considered toxic to cats and grazing animals. Excessive consumption of the berries will kill birds such as cedar waxwings, because they are subject to cyanide toxicosis, resulting in death to multiple individuals at one time.
The berries also contain alkaloids such as nantenine, which is used in scientific research as an antidote to MDMA (ecstasy).
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Nandina by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
