Nandina for Fall Color and Fall Berries!

Nandina in the Texas Landscape Design

Contrasting Red/Orange Nandina with Purple Nandina. Taken in April.

Contrasting Red/Orange Nandina with Purple, Flirt, Nandina. Taken in April.

Dallas Landscaping and Gardens - Lee Ann Torrans

Nandina is the tall shrub above with the white conical spring blooms pictured with The Fairy Miniature Rose. Well pruned, watered and fed Nandina’s can be beautiful.

Nandina_Tree_Dallas_Texas_Lee_Ann_Torrans

Heavenly Bamboo

Heavenly Bamboo is classified as an evergreen shrub and in Texas it works precisely as such providing color, texture and often berries all year round.In the fall, the foliage color turns to pink and red, ending the year with bright red leaves and berries.

Heavenly Bamboo comes in a dwarf size, as well.

The berries will remain and in Texas with so many alternatives for the birds you may well retain your luscious berries.

Heavenly Bamboo will slowly grow to 8 feet if it is left alone, but it can be kept at a very compact size by pruning. Just do NOT SHEAR A NANDINA.

The more sun a nandina receives the brighter the fall colors will be. That being said nandinas appreciate a bit of shade and will certainly flourish in shade!

It is incredibly drought tolerant, if it has to be. So easy, easy, easy to root. Break of a stem, a few inches down into the woody area in the early spring. Keep the area moist and voila! A new nandina — which explains why these are planted around my A/C unit!

You prune a nandina by cutting out canes NOT SHEARING IT. Cut out about a third of the canes in February if you believe it is spreading too wide. DO NOT SHEAR A NANDINA OR A BARBERRY.

Guilty! For years and years I overlooked the nandina. It was such an ordinary, old fashioned shrub. Then the dwarfs came on the scene, berryless and I still over looked it. It was the plain cousin and overplanted commercially. The last thing I wanted to see was another nandina, especially Harbor Dwarf which was rapidly appearing at every commercial corner planting.

Below is a Japanese Maple planted in front of Nandinas. This is one of the most charming homes in Dallas and one of the most beautiful Japanese Maples that I have seen in Dallas. I love the simplicity of this planting. The ONLY thing I would add would be six or seven Flirt purple Nandinas toward the front. More is not always better even in the garden. Some times it is just more.

Looks like this homeowner is working on a nandina hedge!

Harbour Dwarf Nandina

‘Harbour Dwarf’ generally grows 18 inches tall for many years before eventually reaching a height of 32 inches. It is generally twice as wide as it is tall. It’s okay, and spreads but when faced competition from the loropetalum it seems like the lackluster sister, the plain-jane cousin, and just so, “why bother.”

If I had a small yard I would not give up valuable space for Harbour Dwarf. With an acre or more, I would certainly consider this shrub and plant for expansion.

Dwarf Purple Nandina: Obsession and Flirt Nandina

This is a wonderful shrub for Texas. When Flirt came on the scene Nandinas were back on my radar.

The color, height, hardiness and spreading propensity makes this a perfect shrub for borders and for those driveway islands of modern Texas homes. You know, the 25 to 30 feet islands between the obligatory circular drive, the street and the front door! PERFECTION ~ at last!

Dallas Landscaping and Gardening Lee Ann Torrans

As the summer heat intensifies Flirt will lose some its purple colors turning a more brilliant red.

Consider Nandinas for your garden whether you have a hedge in mind, a border planting or just a specimen focus.

Nandina Cousin to the Mahonia!

Nandina, cousin to the Mahonia pictured below and the large beautiful Mahonia berries below are cousins to the Nandina Berries. You can see the resemblance in the berries and the stem structure.

The Obsession Nandina is sport of Nandina domestica ‘Gulf Stream’.

I consider the plantings below the most boring plantings in the world. I would rather see plain dirt. At least there would be the hope of something creative.

Firepower Nandina

The Firepower Nandinas will become brighter in the fall – the barberry will probably wither and die. Just such a sad planting. This is why I turned my back on Nandinas for such a long, long time. This is considered a ‘classic combination.’ Maybe they will go the way of the wax leaf ligustrum and the privet hedge. I hope so!