Genus: Nandina
Common Name: Sacred Bamboo
Family: Berberidaceae
Appearance: Bamboo-like appearance with many upright, slender, closely packed stems, with attractive foliage (bronze).
Flowers: Small insignificant, white flowers in long panicles.
Features: Attractive bronze-red foliage. Better colour is achieved in cooler areas.
Used as a screen plant or shade plant in warmer areas. Attractive berries. Good tub plant, particularly the dwarf form.
Requirements: Prefers, fertile, moist conditions, but is adaptable. Frost tolerant, can withstand exposure, full sun or partial shade.
Culture: Responds well to feeding, and extra moisture in active growing seasons. Propagate from seed, cuttings or layers. Hard to transplant.
Pest & Disease: Few, occasionally scale.
Species & Varieties:
One species, N. domestica -To 3m tall, flowers white, berries bright red. the variety 'Alba' has white berries. The variety 'Pygmaea' (Nana) reaches about 0.6m, and has broader leaves that are dark red in autumn.
For more information on Courses on Horticulture and Plants:
In Australia: www.acs.edu.au/Courses/horti.aspx