Nandina domestica aka Nandina

Nandina domestica, known as heavenly bamboo, sacred bamboo or nandina, is an evergreen shrub in the barberry family, Berberidaceae. It comes from central and southern China and Japan. Some sources also list India within its native range. It reached Europe in 1804 and North America in the early 1800s. Despite its common name, it is not a true bamboo. The name comes from its upright, cane-like stems and divided leaves.

In gardens it grows as an upright, many-stemmed shrub with a rounded crown. Most plants reach 4 to 8 feet (1.2 to 2.4 m) tall and 2 to 4 feet (0.6 to 1.2 m) wide. Dwarf forms may stay under 3 feet (0.9 m). The plant spreads slowly by rhizomes. The bark is brown and splits into shallow ridges and furrows. Young twigs are reddish and unbranched, with yellow inner bark.

The leaves are alternate and bipinnate or tripinnate, reaching 1 to 2 feet (30 to 60 cm) long. Each glossy, smooth leaflet is 0.75 to 3 inches long and lance-shaped. New growth emerges red or bronze. Leaves turn blue-green in summer and purplish-red in autumn, though fall colour varies from year to year. Small white flowers with yellow anthers open from pink buds in late spring or early summer. They sit in upright terminal panicles 10 to 12 inches long. Bright red berries about 8 mm across follow in autumn. Each holds two seeds, and the clusters last through winter. Plants grown in groups fruit better than lone specimens.

Heavenly bamboo suits full sun to part shade and copes with fairly deep shade. Leaf colour is best in sun with some afternoon shade. It grows in a wide range of soils but prefers rich, moist, well-drained ground. Alkaline soil can cause yellowing leaves, known as chlorosis. Regular watering helps, though established plants handle some drought. It is hardy in USDA zones 6 to 9 and rated H5 in the UK. It stays evergreen in mild climates. Below about 10°F, it loses its leaves and stems may die back, but it recovers. Gardeners use it in borders, foundation plantings, woodland edges and informal hedges. Deer tend to leave it alone.

The shrub has few serious pest or disease problems. Cottony cushion scale can appear. Honey fungus and a virus occur rarely. A larger concern is spread: birds and small mammals carry the seeds, and the plant is listed as invasive in the southeastern United States. Several sources favour nearly fruitless cultivars such as 'Fire Power' or 'Gulf Stream' instead.

All parts of the plant contain cyanogenic glycosides, which can release cyanide. It is toxic to people, dogs, cats, horses and livestock. Signs of poisoning include vomiting, weakness, seizures and breathing failure. Serious cases are rare in pets but more frequent in grazing animals. Cedar waxwings have died after eating large numbers of the berries. One source mentions cooked young leaves and the fruit as food, but others class the fruit as poisonous. Traditional medicine has used the roots and stems, yet overdose carries real danger.