Dwarf Sacred Bamboo

Dwarf Sacred Bamboo (Nandina domestica 'Nana') is a compact mound of fine foliage that turns deep red as the weather cools. It sits at about 60cm tall and wide, holds that shape without pruning, and asks for almost nothing once established. Despite the common name it is not a bamboo and it will not run.

Why you'll love it

• Colour on a schedule. Green through the warm months, then crimson and burgundy through winter, strongest in cold districts.
• No pruning required. It grows as a dense rounded mound and stays near 60cm without clipping.
• Tough in hard spots. Frost hardy, heat tolerant, drought tolerant once established and content in poor soil.
• Reliable repetition. Uniform size and habit make it dependable down a long border or across a mass planting.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Plant 50cm apart in a single row for a continuous low edge along a path, driveway or lawn. It stays below sightlines and holds the line without trimming.

Mass planting. At the same 50cm spacing it covers a bank or a front strip as one block of colour that shifts through the year.

Pots, rockeries and small gardens. A single plant fills a 300mm to 400mm pot for years, and in a rockery the fine leaf breaks up the weight of stone.

Growing Dwarf Sacred Bamboo in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun produces the deepest winter red; part shade keeps it greener and softer. It suits cool temperate, warm temperate, subtropical and Mediterranean gardens, and being frost hardy it is a genuinely good option for southern and tableland districts, where the colour is also at its best.

Soil. It handles poor and stony ground provided water moves away. Improve heavy clay with compost, plant slightly high, then mulch 75mm deep and keep it clear of the crown.

Water and feed. Water twice a week through the first summer, then only in long dry spells. A complete slow release fertiliser in early spring keeps the foliage dense, and feeding beyond that improves nothing.

Pruning. None is needed for shape. Every few years cut a third of the oldest canes out at ground level in late winter to keep the clump fresh and full at the base.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in seven sizes: tubestock, 140mm in packs of ten, 175mm, 180mm and 200mm in packs of six, 250mm in packs of three, and single 300mm plants. Tubes and 140mm packs are the value choice for a long border and take about two seasons to close at 50cm spacing. A 300mm plant is already a full mound.

Foliage can look dull or bronzed on arrival, particularly in cold weather, and that is the plant's normal colour response rather than transit damage. Expect new growth within four to six weeks in the warm months. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse more plants for autumn colour.
• See ideas for low growing border plants.
• Compare options for mass planting.
• Find companions among plants for small gardens.

Common questions

Is it safe around pets?

No. The berries are toxic to cats and dogs if eaten, so it is not the right pick for a garden where pets graze. Site it away from a dog run, or choose a pet safe border plant instead.

Is it actually a bamboo?

No, and that matters. It is a shrub with upright cane like stems, so it has none of the spreading rhizomes that make running bamboos a problem near a boundary.

Will it stay red all year?

No. It greens up over spring and summer and colours again as the weather cools, so the display is seasonal. Cold districts get the strongest and longest red.