Sacred Bamboo

Sacred Bamboo 'Moon Bay' (Nandina domestica 'Moon Bay') is a compact evergreen mound of fine foliage that settles at about 80cm tall and 80cm wide. New growth comes through lime green and the whole plant colours red through the cold months, so a border built from it changes character twice a year. Despite the common name it is not a bamboo and it does not run.

Why you'll love it

• Colour without flowers. Lime green new growth in the warm months, deep red through winter, and no reliance on a short bloom season.
• It stays the size you bought. At roughly 80cm each way this compact form will not outgrow a narrow bed the way the older nandinas do.
• Genuinely low care. Frost hardy, heat tolerant, drought tolerant once settled and happy in poor soil, so it survives beds nothing else will.
• Fine texture that reads clean. The narrow leaflets give a soft layered look suited to both formal repetition and a relaxed mixed border.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Plant 50cm apart for a continuous low run. At that spacing the plants touch without smothering each other and the line stays even.

Low informal hedging and mass planting. The same 50cm spacing gives a soft knee height hedge along a path or driveway. In larger drifts, plant in odd numbered groups so the winter colour reads as a block.

Pots and small gardens. A pot 400mm or wider suits it long term, and it holds its shape where a larger shrub would crowd.

Growing Sacred Bamboo in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade. The winter red is strongest in full sun and in cooler gardens, so cool temperate and warm temperate growers get the best of it. Subtropical and Mediterranean gardens suit it too, though the winter colour there is a softer bronze. It is not a plant for the wet tropics.

Soil. Undemanding. It tolerates poor and compacted ground provided water can drain away. Work compost through the backfill and mulch 75mm deep, kept off the crown.

Water and feed. Water twice a week through the first summer, then it needs very little. A slow release fertiliser in early spring keeps the new growth bright.

Pruning. Cut the oldest canes back to ground level in late winter to keep the clump fresh, rather than shearing the top, which spoils the layered look.

What to expect when it arrives

Four sizes are grown. The 140mm packs of ten and 200mm packs of six are the value option for a long border, arriving as young plants that fill out over a season or two. The 250mm packs of three and single 300mm plants are further along and already bushy, worth it where the edge needs to read finished in the first year.

This is a slow grower, so expect a settled first year rather than fast size. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Choosing edging plants for a garden bed
• Browse plants grown for autumn and winter colour
• Compare other low maintenance shrubs
• See more plants for small gardens

Common questions

Is it actually a bamboo?

No. Sacred bamboo is a nandina, and the name comes from the cane like stems. It is clumping, not running, so it will not spread through a bed or under a fence.

How many do I need for a border?

Two per metre, planted 50cm apart. For a 5m run that is ten plants, which the 140mm pack of ten covers exactly.

Is it safe around pets?

Nandina is not on our pet friendly list. The foliage and berries contain compounds that are toxic if eaten, and while this compact form rarely flowers or fruits, it is not one for a yard where a dog chews plants.