Heavenly Bamboo Sacred Bamboo

Heavenly bamboo is the evergreen shrub that delivers twelve months of color, lacy, compound foliage that emerges pink-bronze in spring, matures to green in summer, and turns vivid red, orange, or purple in fall and winter. Clusters of bright red berries persist through winter against the colored foliage, creating a display that peaks exactly when the rest of the garden is at its dullest. Despite the common name, it is not a bamboo, it is in the barberry family, native to China and Japan. It grows five to eight feet tall with an upright, cane-like habit.

In Western Washington, nandina performs well in sun to part shade and tolerates the range of soils common to residential sites. It is one of the most widely planted foundation and border shrubs in the region for good reason: the year-round color, evergreen foliage, and minimal maintenance requirements are hard to match. 'Gulf Stream' and 'Firepower' are compact selections that stay under four feet. The species form can become leggy, cut the tallest canes to the ground periodically to encourage dense, lower growth. One concern: the berries are toxic to birds in large quantities, particularly cedar waxwings, though this is primarily documented in warmer climates where berry production is heavier. No significant disease or pest concerns are tracked. For four-season foliage color and winter berries on a trouble-free shrub, nandina is a reliable choice.