One of the finest shrubs you can grow for spectacular winter colour from both leaves and red berries - this is a plant that should be in everyone's winter garden.
Also known as the sacred or heavenly bamboo, Nandina is totally winter-hardy and tough as old boots.
With a bamboo-like habit, several upright stems emerge from a tight clump of leaves which in spring and summer is mid-green with the odd reddish or purplish tinge on new shoots.
It produces small white flowers, but it really comes into its own as the temperatures drop in autumn.
The leaves turn spectacular bonfire orange red, perfect for Halloween and autumn colour, and keep getting darker red as it gets colder.
The flowers have given way to berries, much like our own much-loved holly, which themselves get redder and redder too, so the whole plant is a frenzy of colour in full winter.
Great as a specimen in a pot, so you can move it near the door to lift your spirits on dark days, or equally at home in the soil in a mixed border planting.
In Japan, it is traditionally grown near a door, so if you awake from a nightmare, you can tell your Nandina about your dream so that it cannot harm you.
Specifications Supplied as an established plant in a 2L pot Ready for planting out or potting into your favourite container Availability: August to April Planting time: All-year-round Flowering time: July to August Fruiting time: September to October Top Tips Nandina doesn't like being planted too deeply.
When planting, the top roots should barely be in the soil.
Care Information Nandina prefers acid to neutral soil, especially if it is rich in organic matter and kept regularly watered.
Plants hate sitting in wet soil, so will benefit from added grit to the planting hole if your soil is heavy.
Plant in full sun if you want the best colour, however, Nandina will also perform well in light shade.
No pruning is required, although you may want to remove any stems that have become long and leggy.