Plus garden to do's for December & January
By L.A. JacksonWant to put some snap, crackle and botanical pop in your dull winter garden? Plant nandinas! Their red berries will brighten up before the Yuletide season and persist to glow cheerfully through the coldest, most drab days of the year.
Sometimes called "heavenly bamboo," nandina is actually a member of the barberry clan rather than the quick-spreading, aggressive bamboo family.
This Far East native has long been popular in Carolina gardens because of its berries and lacy, evergreen foliage. Plain ol' nandina — in botanical terms, the species Nandina domestica — will reach as high as 8 feet tall but can be lightly pruned any time of the year to keep it within proper bounds. However, if you snip this shrub back now, its pretty berries and handsome foliage can be used to accent indoor holiday arrangements.
There are nandina cultivars that restrain themselves to 4 feet tall or less. Some of the berry-producing shorties, such as 'Compacta', 'Firestorm', 'Plum Passion' and 'Harbor Dwarf', add extra appeal in the fall and winter with their foliage simmering in shades of orange, red or purple.
And while red is the normal color of nandina berries, also consider a different hue — the cultivar 'Alba' with its light yellow berries floating on a sea of pleasing, mid-green foliage.
Now is a good time to plant nandina, and once established, it is a tough, dependable plant in the landscape, being able to withstand the wildest swings in Carolina weather, from summer swelter to freezing cold. Although it isn't especially particular about growing ground, nandina shows off best in fertile soil that has been well-worked. It can be located in sun to moderate shade and is rarely bothered by pests or diseases. As a bonus, this berry beautiful shrub is very low on the list of plants favored by grazing deer.
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