Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Nandina Bush

The Nandina Bush is commonly known as the 'heavenly bamboo' or 'sacred bamboo':  however, it is not a bamboo but an erect evergreen shrub with unbranched stems growing from the ground level.

In a colder climate, the nandina is considered a deciduous bush.  In the spring, the young leaves are brightly pink to red colored before turning green.  My nandina bushes have survived the North Florida winters without dropping all their leaves.

I have not paid too much attention to the flowers but I understand that they are white in conical clusters.  My nandinas are still carrying their bright red  berries that ripened in the fall.

A strong word of caution:  All parts of the nandina bush are poisonous and could be potentially fatal if ingested.  The berries are considered toxic to cats and grazing animals.

Another strong word of caution:  Nandina is considered to be an invasive plant in North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida.  It was placed on the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council's invasive list as a Category I species, the highest listing.

Needless to say that the purchase or continued cultivation of this species is discourage.  My nandinas are in containers.  They are in a controlled environment.

Source:  Wikipedia

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I am participating in the A to Z Blog Challenge for April 2014.

6 comments:

  1. Guess it depends on the soil. We had a nandina and it still is the same size. Always wondered what it was.
    Moondustwriter

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    1. Florida soil is pretty bad, especially along the beaches. It needs a lot of "amendments" so I have been told

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  2. Yay for a fellow Floridian! But why would you want to own a plant like that?

    True Heroes from A to Z

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    1. Sometimes you see these plants & think they look good or interesting and you buy them and the people at some garden centers knows less about the plants than you do. I had no idea about the Nandina--live & learn. Thanks for visiting.

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  3. I don't think it would survive here in Alaska.

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