Nandina domestica 'Fire Power'
From the car park when you first arrive at Wisley, to Seven Acres, Battleston Hill and 'A Garden of Contrasts' in Witan Street, this low-growing shrub gives a splash of colour and interest from its bright red leaves during winter.
Vital statistics
- Common name
- Heavenly bamboo 'Fire Power'
- Family
- Berberidaceae
- Height & spread
- 45cm (18in) x 60cm (24in)
- Form
- Evergreen or semi-evergreen shrub
- Soil
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- Sheltered, sunny position
- Hardiness
- Frost hardy
Nandina
There is just one species in this genus which comes from mountain valleys in India, China and Japan. It is grown for its flowers, fruit and elegant foliage that turns purple or red over winter, the leaves being brightest when they are young.
Small, star-shaped white flowers arranged in 'cones' up to 40cm (16in) long appear in mid summer, followed by long-lasting bright red fruits. Only female plants will produce berries, and often only in a hot summer, but if they come they are worth waiting for.
Although 'Heavenly bamboo' is its common name, it is a member of the barberry family and not related to bamboo at all. Popular in Japan, it is invasive in hot climates where it has escaped from gardens, as has happened in Florida.
Nandina domestica 'Fire Power'
This is a dwarf and compact cultivar of the species with bright red leaves that sparkle on a frosty day. Great as a specimen plant in a shrub border, it is also perfect in pots, or looks good planted with other delicate plants to show off its finery, or alternatively with broad-leaved plants to give contrast.
Cultivation
- Grow in a sheltered site in moist but well-drained soil, preferably in full sun.
- Prune lightly, if required, in mid spring.
- Viruses may cause narrow, distorted leaves to develop.
Propagation
- Sow the seed of Nandina domestica in containers in a cold frame as soon as they're ripe.
- Propagate cultivars or the species by semi-ripe cuttings in summer.
AGM
The RHS Woody Plant Committee awarded Nandina domestica 'Fire Power' an Award of Garden Merit in 2002.