How to Grow and Care for Heavenly Bamboo

Nandina domestica

Seeking to improve your backyard with a sturdy evergreen shrub that gives year-round curiosity and doesn’t require the backbreaking labor of higher-maintenance vegetation, resembling roses or hedges?

Look no additional than heavenly bamboo.

We hyperlink to distributors that will help you discover related merchandise. In the event you purchase from certainly one of our hyperlinks, we could earn a fee.

A shrub with roots in Asian historical past, Nandina domestica is proof against pests and illness, and could be very adaptable to many several types of exposures.

It’ll do nicely in a wide range of soil textures, and can visually change leaf shades in a kaleidoscopic method because the seasons change. Its plumes of cream-white flowers and vibrant pink berries are enticing within the panorama and to lovely songbirds.

Save for the occasional pruning and fertilization, this plant is fairly hands-off, making it a sound candidate for the laissez-faire gardener.

Try what’s forward, people:

Let’s dive in!

Cultivation and Historical past

Together with gunpowder, kites, and mind surgical procedure, heavenly bamboo was first utilized by the Chinese language. On the time of the Tang Dynasty, gardeners cultivated N. domestica way back to the sixth century BCE.

From there, the plant was launched to the Japanese within the 1600s, and has since been naturalized in central and southern areas of the nation.

It was within the Land of the Rising Solar that heavenly bamboo was formally described and acquired its botanical title.

Nandina comes from the Japanese title Nan-Din, and domestica comes from the Japanese follow of planting this shrub close to residence entrances.

In keeping with legend, sharing your dangerous goals with the plant upon waking can relieve you of these hard-to-shake, post-nightmare heebie-jeebies.

N. domestica made its approach to Europe in 1804, and was later dropped at the New World.

These days, it’s used as decorative shrubbery, and the bamboo-like stems make for primo toothpick wooden. In China, it’s additionally used for non secular choices and as decorations for Chinese language New 12 months.

Regardless of its widespread title, this species is just not technically a real bamboo. It’s a woody shrub, whereas precise bamboo species are giant grasses.

Take care to not drop this truth too aggressively in dialog, although… you possibly can be publicly identified with extreme plant nerdiness.

Propagation

Heavenly bamboo could be propagated from seed, transplants, or from cuttings.

From Seed

To propagate N. domestica from seed, you’ll first want to amass mentioned seeds.

In the event you’d slightly harvest your individual, start by choosing the brilliant pink berries within the fall. After a great in a single day soaking, extract the seeds from the fruits and clear them off.

The berries are toxic to people and animals, so you should definitely put on gloves and clear every part concerned within the harvest afterwards.

Dry the seeds after harvest on screens. Retailer in a dry location with a temperature of about 40°F till the summer time.

Come summertime, plant every seed three inches deep and two to a few ft aside within the floor the place you would like for them to develop.

Alternatively, you possibly can plant the seeds in a seed tray of 50-50 sphagnum moss and perlite.

Hold the planting medium moist through misting till they germinate and become seedlings.

From Transplants

To transplant, merely put together holes as deep because the roots or root ball and plant them two to a few ft aside. You’ll then wish to water frequently till the plant is established.

Heavenly bamboo transplants like a dream, which is great you probably have homegrown seedlings or a transplant from an out of doors vendor.

Nandina domestica

Talking of, you should purchase N. domestica transplants from Quick Rising Timber.

From Cuttings

Rooting cuttings is a superb choice if you wish to make the most of your preexisting N. domestica vegetation for propagation whereas bypassing that ready interval that comes with sowing seeds.

This technique is usually much less efficient than propagating seeds or nursery transplants, however it may be rewarding nonetheless.

Shoots are the perfect plant elements to make use of right here, whether or not they’re from the foliage or they’re sprouting laterally from the roots as adventitious shoots, also referred to as suckers.

Choose your cuttings and take away them from the plant with a sterilized propagation knife.

The way to Develop

One of many cool issues about heavenly bamboo is its potential to develop and face up to a wide range of situations, making it a really versatile addition to your backyard.

It grows so aggressively, actually, that it will possibly rapidly naturalize except care is taken to make sure it doesn’t take over your backyard.

Local weather and Soil Wants

N. domestica grows greatest in USDA Hardiness Zones 6 to 9. It prefers full solar or mild shade, however can tolerate heavy shade.

Soil-wise, it tolerates a wide range of textures, so long as it’s well-drained and fertile. That eliminates barren and/or clay soils, however the remaining is truthful sport. Simply make certain the pH falls within the vary of 5.0 to 7.4.

Irrigation and Fertilizer Wants

Heavenly bamboo prefers that its soil is at all times saved moist for optimum progress and improvement… though it does tolerate drought as soon as established.

It’s perfect for enthusiastic waterers who haven’t mastered watering self-discipline so long as the realm drains nicely, as this plant will take no matter water you throw at it, whereas additionally being very forgiving of neglectful hydration.

This plant likes it fertile, so amending the soil with natural materials resembling compost or manure will hold situations optimum.

Work as much as two inches of natural matter into the soil round your heavenly bamboo at first of each rising season.

Rising Suggestions

• The evergreen leaves change to various shades of pink and inexperienced come wintertime, so bear in mind the place these shrubs would stand out as vacation decorations!
• Remember the fact that the berries are mildly poisonous. Ingestion isn’t deadly, however nonetheless not a good suggestion for you or your pets to eat.
• Heavenly bamboo is taken into account invasive in some areas, so seek the advice of your space’s invasive species lists and insurance policies previous to planting.

Pruning and Upkeep

Like a senior citizen with extreme GI misery, N. domestica may use a great prune each once in a while.

A lot of the aesthetic enchantment of heavenly bamboo comes from its bamboo-esque woody stems, or canes, which may turn into leggy and weak if vegetation aren’t pruned yearly.

Pruning must be performed in winter, when progress has ceased. Handheld pruners ought to do the trick for a lot of the stems, save for the oldest and thickest ones. Reducing these again would require some loppers.

Take away canes that make the form of the plant look crowded and uncontrolled, in addition to tall canes that stick out, all naked and uncovered. Take all of them the way in which to the bottom, and don’t prune greater than a 3rd of the plant without delay.

Shearing the foliage such as you would with hedges takes away from this shrub’s pure floof, so keep away from giving it a haircut if in any respect potential.

Cultivars to Choose

The plain ol’ heavenly bamboo is a incredible little bit of flora, even when it’s simply the usual N. domestica. However it additionally has lots to supply through its cultivars. Let’s discover the highest varieties!

Compacta

As its title implies, ‘Compacta’ is a smaller cultivar, reaching two to a few ft in peak as a substitute of the usual six to eight.

Its foliage begins out pink, turns into blue-green in the summertime, then returns to an excellent pink come autumn and wintertime.

‘Compacta’

Regardless of its diminutive measurement, it retains the hardiness and flexibility of its bigger predecessor, proving that greater isn’t at all times higher.

Desire a ‘Compacta’ of your individual? Nature Hills Nursery has what you’re searching for, in #1 or #5 containers.

Hearth Energy

A semi-evergreen cultivar with a two-foot peak and width, ‘Hearth Energy’ has distinctive, skinny foliage.

In the course of the summer time, its leaves tackle a lime inexperienced hue. Throughout fall semi-senescence, it options shades of orange to go together with the standard fiery pink of the usual species selection.

This non-fruiting cultivar assaults your eyeballs with a potent payload of visible curiosity, residing as much as its title.

‘Hearth Energy’

Need to add some ‘Hearth Energy’ to your arsenal of shrubbery? Load up with what Quick Rising Timber has to supply.

Gulf Stream

‘Gulf Stream’ is one more cultivar that’s smaller than your commonplace N. domestica, at three- to three-and-a-half ft tall and huge.

It possesses foliage coloration much like that of ‘Hearth Energy,’ though its summertime leaves ain’t fairly lime inexperienced.

Nonetheless, this plant doesn’t sucker as a lot as different cultivars or the species plant, making it perfect for gardeners who need their heavenly bamboo to remain put.

‘Gulf Stream’

Dreaming of the supreme coloration scheme of ‘Gulf Stream’? Quick Rising Timber can flip your goals into actuality.

Managing Pests and Illness

Imagine it or not, N. domestica has few vital pest or illness points. You possibly can relaxation simple, understanding your heavenly bamboo vegetation are protected. A pleasant change of tempo from inclined vegetation, eh?

Nonetheless, there are some potential points for the gardening hypochondriac to pay attention to, so let’s get into it.

Cottony Cushion Scale

Mature cottony cushion scale are tiny, orangish-brown-bodied bugs which might be coated with a white or yellow wax, and these will produce a large fluted egg sac that will increase the insect’s physique size to an entire half inch.

These egg sacs are full of as much as 1,000 eggs, which hatch into red-bodied, black-legged crawlers. This ends in giant populations sucking phloem sap from the vegetative elements of heavenly bamboo, which may trigger defoliation and dieback.

Management could be achieved by making use of horticultural oil to the vegetation throughout the dormant season, or by spraying with an natural herbicide within the spring or fall.

Nonetheless, the vedalia beetle (Novius cardinalis) and the parasitic fly Cryptochaetum iceryae are very efficient technique of organic management.

They’re so efficient, actually, that if these bugs are discovered close to your heavenly bamboo, maintain off on resorting to any chemical measures. Let nature do a greater job of controlling your cottony cushion scale infestation.

Powdery Mildew

Brought on by the fungus Erysiphe berberidis, powdery mildew exhibits up on the topsides of heavenly bamboo leaves as a powdery clumps of white fungal progress.

Contaminated leaves are often smaller, curled, and extra reddish-looking than regular. Over time, the mold can transfer from particular person leaves to cowl whole shoots.

Planting heavenly bamboo in full solar and offering sufficient spacing between plantings for air circulation may help stop the fungal growths from occurring.

Wiping contaminated leaves with a moist material can take away the mold, and eliminating fallen leaves may help stop additional illness unfold.

Fungicides can be utilized in one-to-two week intervals earlier than signs develop as one other preventative measure.

Cucumber Mosaic Virus

In heavenly bamboo, cucumber mosaic virus causes wine-red discoloration in newly grown spring leaves, in addition to narrowed leaves and downward leaf cupping. Crops which might be contaminated additionally have a tendency to supply fewer flower buds and berries.

There isn’t a treatment or therapy out there for this virus, so as soon as a person plant is contaminated, it have to be culled to be able to stop additional unfold.

Shopping for virus-free heavenly bamboo is an efficient preventative step, as is utilizing sterile pruning and propagation instruments.

Plantago Asiatica Mosaic Virus

Plantago asiatica mosaic virus ends in a light-weight pink mosaic discoloration in contaminated vegetation, together with potential leaf distortion and stunting.

There isn’t a repair for this mosaic virus both, as soon as an infection takes place, so contaminated vegetation must be eliminated and changed if their efficiency within the panorama isn’t as much as snuff.

Solely use sterilized instruments to be able to stop additional an infection, as PAMV spreads primarily from diseased heavenly bamboo sap hitching a journey on contaminated gardening implements.

Greatest Makes use of

Heavenly bamboo seems incredible as each a specimen plant or en masse. Its delicate foliage serves as a pleasant distinction to harsher-textured shrubs within the panorama, and offers year-round visible curiosity.

Smaller cultivars could also be used to accent bigger plantings, whereas the bigger varieties can be utilized to cover visually-obtrusive constructions resembling sheds, drainpipes, or AC items.

Fast Reference Rising Information

Plant Sort:	Woody shrub	Flower / Foliage Shade:	Cream-white flowers/blue-green foliage (darkish pink in fall)
Native to:	China, Japan	Upkeep	Reasonable
Hardiness (USDA Zone):	6-9	Tolerance:	Soil and publicity extremes, drought, salt, deer
Bloom Time:	Late spring to early summer time	Soil Sort:	Fertile, wealthy in natural matter
Publicity:	Full solar to shade	Soil pH:	5.0-7.4
Spacing:	2-3 ft	Soil Drainage:	Effectively-draining
Planting Depth:	3 inches (seeds), root ball depth (transplants)	Attracts:	Small mammals, songbirds
Peak:	6-8 ft	Makes use of:	Specimen, mass plantings, eyesore camouflage
Unfold:	2-3 ft	Order:	Ranunculales
Water Wants:	Low	Household:	Berberidaceae
Progress Charge:	Reasonable	Genus:	Nandina
Widespread Pests and Ailments:	Cottony cushion scale; powdery mildew, mosaic viruses	Species:	Domestica

A Closing Ballyhoo for Heavenly Bamboo

By now, I hope the majesty of N. domestica is just not misplaced on y’all. Such a steadiness of aesthetic magnificence and tough-as-nails hardiness is difficult to search out in a lowly backyard shrub, however heavenly bamboo manages to drag it off.

Now that you understand how to develop and look after it, be at liberty to take pleasure in all of the resilience and visible taste that this plant has to supply!

Have expertise wrangling N. domestica? Acquired questions, considerations, or ideas you’d wish to share? Flip ‘em free within the feedback part under, I’d like to learn and reply!

If heavenly bamboo tickled your fancy, check out these guides on evergreen shrubs subsequent: