Those Naughty But Beautiful Nandinas

Blush Pink Nandina by Southern Living
Plant Collection

Nandinas are one of those plants I tend to put in the love-hate category based on what I hear from friends and customers. Except for a few, I believe most ornamental plants have their place depending on specie/cultivar and location. To me Nandina is one of those which I tend to enjoy; yet, for location and fruit-producing or not.

I love the branch structure, the foliage and the varying colors they can produce throughout the year. I've seen some beautiful ones in some odd locations. The backdrop and proximity to other plants and structures is key, to me.

Yes, some of the non-dwarf type can seem to get a little leggy, but that can usually be solved with some proper pruning.

Nandinas are considered invasive and two factors aid in this. They have rhyzomal stems which reach out for new real estate and produce new canes. The fruit (berry) producing Nandinas will propagate new plants by dropping the berries or they being carried by animals.

The berries are toxic, as they contain cyanide, and can cause bird mortality if consumed in quantity**. You may not want your smallest of pets consuming a lot of berries and you may want to make them inaccessible to toddlers. Hopefully the other not-so-young children know not to eat a berry unless they know what it is and is safe.

Christmas Nandina Arrangements

There are plenty of beautiful dwarf cultivars which range in heights roughly two to four feet. And, there are many which are not fruit-producing, while there are still the flowering and berry producing types.

In general, if the plant tag or other relation information does not mention not producing flowers and/or berries, then the plant does produce flowers/fruit.

I have re-decorated (I call it interior restoration) two rooms in a customer/friend's house and she recently asked me to help decorate a little for Christmas. She had already done most of the decoration and remembered she had a few Nandinas putting out some nice berries.

Christmas Nandina Arrangements

So, I put together a few arrangements. The colors work very well for Christmas and I love the open branch structure and leaf formation. The berries form somewhat like clusters of grapes.

In the center bowl I simply took two colors of cloth napkins and lined the bowl with them. I then placed some red ornament bulbs, apples and cherries, and then threw in a few japanese yew branches.

They say (whoever they are), Nandina berries and foliage do quite well in a vase for quite some time. We'll see.

Merry Christmas!

**Woldemeskel, M. and E.L. Styler. Feeding Behavior-Related Toxicity due to Nandina domestica in Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum). Vet Med Int., Dec. 9, 2010.