Nandinas are low maintenance evergreen shrubs known for their soft textured natural appearance and the winter foliage color they provide in the landscape. There are many varieties on the market and all of them have foliage that turns anywhere from bright right to burgundy-red. Some varieties produce panicles of white blooms in spring that are follwed by clusters of attractive red berries in winter.

We use lower growing varieties of nandina such as 'Harbour Dwarf' or 'Harbour Belle' in groups to form an attractive mass as groundcover. Taller growing varieties such as 'Compacta' and 'Gulf Stream' are great screening air conditioning units, to soften inset corners in foundation plantings, or around decks to screen underneath. They also look great around the garden pond or grouped in islands or woodland borders for naturalizing. Ocassionally we'll use them as a low hedge.

Perhaps the most popular variety of nandina is 'Firepower', a dwarf. Though its red winter color is by far the most intense, we do not use this variety in our landscape designs as it is more finicky than others in Zone 8 of the south.

Nandinas are very adaptable plants; performing well in either sun or shade and once established are very drought tolerant.