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Nandina domestica

Chinese-bamboo · Heavenly Bamboo · Sacred Bamboo · Nandina

Family BerberidaceaeGenus Nandina

A branching cluster of white flowers with yellow stamens among many green and cream buds
FlowerGmihailCC BY-SA 3.0 RS

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

Safety

Toxicity
High severity. Fruits, Leaves, Stems. Cyanogenic glycosides.Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

The plant

Habit
Broadleaf evergreenPlant Finder
Habit
shrubPlants of the World Online
Height
3-8 ft0.9-2.4 mPlant Finder
Spread
2-4 ft0.6-1.2 mPlant Finder
Flower
Showy; white with yellow anthersPlant Finder
Blooms
JunePlant Finder
Native range
India to JapanPlant Finder
Hardiness zones
6-9Plant Finder
Note
Considered invasive in some areas -- check local law first. Tolerates drought and heavy shade.Plant Finder

Growing conditions

Sun
Full sun to part shadePlant Finder
Soil
Average, medium moisture, well-drainedPlant Finder
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0), Alkaline (>8.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0)Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Moisture
Good Drainage, MoistExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Watering
MediumPlant Finder

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plant Finder — Missouri Botanical Garden; Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — NC State Extension.

Worth knowing

  • The only species in its genus, and not a true bamboo. From the Japanese nanten, from the Chinese for southern heavenly bamboo. Wikipedia: Nandina
  • Its berries are toxic to birds: eating too many can kill cedar waxwings through cyanide poisoning, several at a time. Wikipedia: Nandina

Protocol

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

  1. Clean the flesh off the seed

    Seed collected in March in central Pennsylvania.

  2. Sow and cover

    Rotted in days. Deno suspects the winter had already killed it.

No stated waiting before sowing.

0% germination.

All of it rotted within days of being cleaned and wetted. Collect earlier than March.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, NandinaPublic domain
Show the original text
Nandina (Berberidaceae). N. domestica should perhaps be omitted from discussion because all seed rotted. The seed was collected in March in Central Pennsylvania. It is suspected that winter cold may have killed the seeds as they rotted in days after being cleaned and subjected to moisture.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Nandina. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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