Nandina ‘Obsession’

Nandina 'Obsession' (Nandina domestica 'Obsession') is grown for the colour of its new growth rather than its flowers. Every fresh flush opens deep glossy red and settles to green, so an established planting always has bright tips somewhere. It holds a compact dome around 90cm tall and 80cm wide without clipping.

Why you'll love it

• Red growth, not just a seasonal show. The flush colour appears whenever the plant grows, giving red tips through spring and summer and deeper tones in the cold months.
• It stays the size you bought it for. A natural 90cm by 80cm dome means no shearing and no annual battle to keep it in scale.
• Frost hardy and heat tolerant. The same plant works in a cool temperate garden and a subtropical one, which few coloured foliage shrubs manage.
• Undemanding soil. Poor ground and dry spells are handled once established, so it suits difficult strips beside driveways and paths.
• Not a bamboo. Despite the common name sacred bamboo, it grows as a slow upright clump of fine canes.

Where it works best

Mass planting. Plant 60cm apart. At that spacing the domes knit into a continuous low sweep within two seasons while each plant keeps its own shape.

Borders and low hedging. The same 60cm spacing gives a soft informal hedge to just under a metre. It will not take formal shearing, so use it where a relaxed edge suits.

Pots and small gardens. A pot 400mm or wider holds it long term, and the red foliage does more work in winter than most flowering plants.

Growing Nandina 'Obsession' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the strongest red; part shade keeps the plant healthy but greener. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens. In the wet tropics constant humidity flattens the colour.

Soil. Almost any soil with drainage. It tolerates poor ground and needs no enriching, but it will sulk in a bed that stays wet. On heavy clay, raise the bed and work compost through the backfill.

Water and feed. Deep water weekly through the first summer, after which it is drought tolerant in all but extended dry spells. A controlled release fertiliser in early spring is enough for the year.

Pruning. Do not shear it. If a plant gets leggy after several years, cut the two or three oldest canes back to the ground in late winter and let new canes replace them.

What to expect when it arrives

We grow it in four sizes: tube stock, 140mm in packs of ten, 200mm in packs of six and 250mm in packs of three. Tube and 140mm plants are young, roughly 15cm to 30cm tall, and are the value choice for a long border; the 200mm and 250mm sizes arrive already branched.

Nandinas travel well, and a little leaf drop or colour change after transit corrects itself once the plant settles. Expect a quiet month, then steady growth. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Plants that colour up through autumn and winter
• Shrubs suited to mass planting
• Nandina 'Nana' for a lower 60cm edge
• Choosing edging plants for a garden bed

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

Sixty centimetres apart for mass planting or a low informal hedge. Any tighter and the inner branches shade each other out; any wider and gaps still show after two seasons.

Is it safe around dogs and cats?

No. Nandina berries are toxic to pets and to birds, which is why we do not list this plant as pet friendly. A different shrub is safer if your pet grazes.

Will it hold red colour in a warm climate?

Yes. The red comes from new growth rather than cold, so subtropical gardens get bright tips through the growing season, while cooler gardens add a deeper tone in winter.