The poisonous berries of a Nandina shrubs.
#Nandina #Berries #Poisonous #Macro #Macrophotography #ClassicMono #Monochrome #Blackandwhite #B&W #PhotographersOfBluesky #PhotographersUnited #EastCoastKin #WilliamAdamsPhotography
A red Nandina plant with water droplets on the leaves.
#ColorADay #RedWed
Our red Nandina plant after a light rain. (2026)
#photography - #plants
#ECK - #Nandina
<Alt Text 1 of 4> . Instead today’s topic is a plant that you may have in your yard that is both interesting and ecologically problematic at the same time. What plant could this be you ask? Well, the plant in question has a pretty name Heavenly Bamboo. Obviously the bamboo part is effectively a warning; the scientific name of this plant is (Nandina domestica). The word ‘nadina’ is the Latin form of the Japanese name for this plant ‘nanten’ while the specific epithet ‘domestica’ means domesticated or of a home site. Heavenly Bamboo is a non-native as its original range was central and southern China and Japan. Like anything else brought over without sufficient consideration for the native ecology this plant has become a problem. Heavenly bamboo isn’t quite a Kudzu level issue, but one of its chief features is a bit controversial. Despite its common name this plant is not in the grass family (Poacaeae) like true Bamboo is; instead it belongs to the Barberry family (Berberidaceae). <Alt Text 1 of 4>
<Alt Text 2 of 4> Now if you know anything about Barberries, you know they can be literal and figurative pains in the rear end. Barberries are often best identified by the fact their roots once you scrape the skin off have a bright yellow coloration and this is due to high concentrations of Berberine which is a bright yellow nitrogen-containing compound that acts a natural defense against pests and disease. Heavenly Bamboo, if you scrape off the root bark has yellow roots for the same reason as other members of the Barberry Family. In general Heavenly Bamboo is well regarded for its evergreen foliage, interesting bark on its trunks and its flowers and berries. The use of Nandina fronds and berries in holiday dried arrangements is a common thing around the region and they definitely are a great alternative if you cannot get Holly. Fortunately, the newer hybrids such as Obsession, Blush Pink, Flirt, Lemon-Lime, Cool Glow, Tuskin Flame and, Twilight have all been bred and selected to not have the two biggest problems with Nandina. This is where this article takes a turn, because I now have to talk about the bad side of Heavenly Bamboo. Firstly, a distinction has to be made, older varieties like the ones in the included photographs are of the old types, and may not even have a specific variety. Older Heavenly Bamboo installations can be found all over Fayetteville and some of them may even be wild types that were planted or escaped and formed their own colony. Older varieties can aggressively sucker and produce large numbers of offsets allowing them to crowd out competition. <Alt Text 2 of 4>
![<Alt Text 3 of 4>
[Photo Notes: This patch of Nandina ran under a 3' wide sidewalk in an attempt to colonize a lawn area.]
This problem alone is why Heavenly Bamboo is classified as an Invasive plant by numerous groups in North Carolina. The berries these Nadina’s produce are viable and their bright color makes them a tempting snack to animals, birds and small children. The problem is that they are highly toxic to birds, cats, dogs and livestock. Not even Pigs can eat the berries which should give you more than enough reason to not plant old school Nandinas nor allow existing stands of them to remain. The dangerous ingredient in question is Hydrogen Cyanide, and some of you who read this undoubtedly know how bad that is. Nandinas are responsible for killing a lot of North American Songbirds who mistook their berries for an easy meal and Cedar Waxwings were hit noticeably hard. The odd balance there is that when Heavenly Bamboo blooms in spring the pretty flowers are often crawling with various types of bees because the bees are immune to the poison or, the poison is not present in the nectar and pollen. I am not sure this is an acceptable tradeoff for a plant that can kill wild birds and also can easily escape captivity.
<Alt Text 3 of 4>](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ttjk7vw35ao5ktsnimyitp3v/bafkreig4skz4i5cgrgkov2vqbyboxqyjdi5jzq2t4xbszbbs2i4xgtkiiq)
<Alt Text 3 of 4> [Photo Notes: This patch of Nandina ran under a 3' wide sidewalk in an attempt to colonize a lawn area.] This problem alone is why Heavenly Bamboo is classified as an Invasive plant by numerous groups in North Carolina. The berries these Nadina’s produce are viable and their bright color makes them a tempting snack to animals, birds and small children. The problem is that they are highly toxic to birds, cats, dogs and livestock. Not even Pigs can eat the berries which should give you more than enough reason to not plant old school Nandinas nor allow existing stands of them to remain. The dangerous ingredient in question is Hydrogen Cyanide, and some of you who read this undoubtedly know how bad that is. Nandinas are responsible for killing a lot of North American Songbirds who mistook their berries for an easy meal and Cedar Waxwings were hit noticeably hard. The odd balance there is that when Heavenly Bamboo blooms in spring the pretty flowers are often crawling with various types of bees because the bees are immune to the poison or, the poison is not present in the nectar and pollen. I am not sure this is an acceptable tradeoff for a plant that can kill wild birds and also can easily escape captivity. <Alt Text 3 of 4>
![<Alt Text 4 of 4>
[Picture Note: Notice the miniature 'forest' of nandina sprouts, this is what it will do when it hits a hard barrier while it's underground roots trie to find a way under the obstruction.]
The good news is that modern hybrids have been selected and bred not to produce berries however the stability of that breeding and selection under field conditions is still worthy of debate because; nature finds a way. Now personally, I have a few of the old school Nandinas that were planted on the property by my Great Grand Parents in the late 70’s if not early 80’s. Before any of you get the pitchforks and torches out over that revelation, I cut off and dispose of the berries so songbirds aren’t harmed and also the population of Nandinas has been reduced to two specimens that are managed. They haven’t gone colonial and honestly this works for me but I also understand not everyone will bother to undertake this kind of management which also includes making sure there are alternate food sources for wild birds that feed on berries in the property I own. It’s more work than you might expect but having a specimen or two to use as a cautionary tale is how we got this article. As a final note for this post, you will see Nandinas sold in nurseries and garden centers, these are usually hybrids selected to be less of a problem. Always check the tag to see what variety you are getting and if it’s not a cultivar you recognize or it just says Nandina domestica don’t buy it.
<Alt Text 4 of 4>](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ttjk7vw35ao5ktsnimyitp3v/bafkreidb5tdoozdmpyzdmwgunezhceqpmqsajgnotokpg7odthu6khrzte)
<Alt Text 4 of 4> [Picture Note: Notice the miniature 'forest' of nandina sprouts, this is what it will do when it hits a hard barrier while it's underground roots trie to find a way under the obstruction.] The good news is that modern hybrids have been selected and bred not to produce berries however the stability of that breeding and selection under field conditions is still worthy of debate because; nature finds a way. Now personally, I have a few of the old school Nandinas that were planted on the property by my Great Grand Parents in the late 70’s if not early 80’s. Before any of you get the pitchforks and torches out over that revelation, I cut off and dispose of the berries so songbirds aren’t harmed and also the population of Nandinas has been reduced to two specimens that are managed. They haven’t gone colonial and honestly this works for me but I also understand not everyone will bother to undertake this kind of management which also includes making sure there are alternate food sources for wild birds that feed on berries in the property I own. It’s more work than you might expect but having a specimen or two to use as a cautionary tale is how we got this article. As a final note for this post, you will see Nandinas sold in nurseries and garden centers, these are usually hybrids selected to be less of a problem. Always check the tag to see what variety you are getting and if it’s not a cultivar you recognize or it just says Nandina domestica don’t buy it. <Alt Text 4 of 4>
The Wild Harvest Digest: March 2026, #3
Good Morning Neighbors,
Due to a time crunch today we are not going to talk about companion planting. The size of the companion planting post about the Aster family would not be done any justice in the time limits of today's or tomorrow’s schedule. #Nandina
A red nandina plant with snow on the leaves.
#ColorADay #RedWed
Our first snow fall this year on our nandina bush that sits on our back patio.
#red #nandina #plants
#photography #BloomScrolling
#EastCoastKin #nature #snow
Tenryu temple/天龍寺/2026.02.14
#Kyoto #京都 #arashiyama #嵐山
#TenryuTemple #天龍寺
#NearbyTemple #近所の寺
#WorldHeritage #世界遺産
#NearbyWorldHeritage #近所の世界遺産
#Nandina #南天 #ナンテン
#PlumBlossom #梅
Tenryu temple/天龍寺/2026.01.31
#Kyoto #京都 #arashiyama #嵐山
#TenryuTemple #天龍寺
#NearbyTemple #近所の寺
#WorldHeritage #世界遺産
#NearbyWorldHeritage #近所の世界遺産
#Nandina #南天 #ナンテン
#PlumBlossom #梅
Seiryoji Temple/清凉寺/2026.01.23
#Kyoto #京都 #arashiyama #嵐山
#Seiryoji #清凉寺
#Sagasyakado #嵯峨釈迦堂
#NearbyTemple #近所の寺
#Nandina #南天 #ナンテン
#JapaneseAndromeda #馬酔木 #アセビ
#CoralArdisia #万両
#WhiteCoralArdisia #白万両
#PlumBlossom #梅
#JapaneseAllspice #蝋梅
Tenryu temple/天龍寺/2026.01.24
#Kyoto #京都 #arashiyama #嵐山
#TenryuTemple #天龍寺
#NearbyTemple #近所の寺
#WorldHeritage #世界遺産
#NearbyWorldHeritage #近所の世界遺産
#Nandina #南天 #ナンテン
#PlumBlossom #梅
Tenryu temple/天龍寺/2026.01.17
#Kyoto #京都 #arashiyama #嵐山
#TenryuTemple #天龍寺
#NearbyTemple #近所の寺
#WorldHeritage #世界遺産
#NearbyWorldHeritage #近所の世界遺産
#Nandina #南天 #ナンテン
#PlumBlossom #梅
Seiryoji Temple/清凉寺/2026.01.10
#Kyoto #京都 #arashiyama #嵐山
#Seiryoji #清凉寺
#Sagasyakado #嵯峨釈迦堂
#NearbyTemple #近所の寺
#Nandina #南天 #ナンテン
#JapaneseAndromeda #馬酔木 #アセビ
#CoralArdisia #万両
#WhiteCoralArdisia #白万両
Tenryu temple/天龍寺/2026.01.10
#Kyoto #京都 #arashiyama #嵐山
#TenryuTemple #天龍寺
#NearbyTemple #近所の寺
#WorldHeritage #世界遺産
#NearbyWorldHeritage #近所の世界遺産
#Nandina #南天 #ナンテン
Seiryoji Temple/清凉寺/2026.01.02-2026.01.03
#Kyoto #京都 #arashiyama #嵐山
#Seiryoji #清凉寺
#Sagasyakado #嵯峨釈迦堂
#NearbyTemple #近所の寺
#Nandina #南天 #ナンテン
#JapaneseAndromeda #馬酔木 #アセビ
#snow #雪
Tenryu temple/天龍寺/2026.01.02
#Kyoto #京都 #arashiyama #嵐山
#TenryuTemple #天龍寺
#NearbyTemple #近所の寺
#WorldHeritage #世界遺産
#NearbyWorldHeritage #近所の世界遺産
#Nandina #南天 #ナンテン
#PlumBlossom #梅
#Firepower #Nandina #Heavenly#Bamboo
I could not believe how bright the colors were when the sun hit it this afternoon.
#SensoryArt #Fire #Photography #PNW
Seiryoji Temple/清凉寺/2025.12.31
#Kyoto #京都 #arashiyama #嵐山
#Seiryoji #清凉寺
#Sagasyakado #嵯峨釈迦堂
#NearbyTemple #近所の寺
#Nandina #南天 #ナンテン
#CoralArdisia #万両
#WhiteCoralArdisia #白万両
#PlumBlossom #梅
Tenryu temple/天龍寺/2025.12.27
#Kyoto #京都 #arashiyama #嵐山
#TenryuTemple #天龍寺
#NearbyTemple #近所の寺
#WorldHeritage #世界遺産
#NearbyWorldHeritage #近所の世界遺産
#Nandina #南天 #ナンテン
A purple and red nandina shines in the afternoon light against a green blurred background.
#ArtAdventCalendar Day 9
#EastCoastKin #NaturePhotography #Nandina #Foliage
#ナンテン 【長野県実家の庭】12月上旬
実が真っ赤に熟していますが、葉の色は微妙。もっと赤くなる時もあるのですが、こういう赤色とも緑色ともつかない色合いになることも、よくあります。
#Nandina domestica Thunb.
#ナンテン 【長野県実家の庭】11月下旬
赤い実のなる木は縁起が良いというわけで、玄関脇に植わってました。実が沢山つく年と、あまりつかない年があるのですけれど、これは実付きの良かった年に撮ったものですね。冬になって雪がつもると、この実をつけた枝が垂れ下がるのですけれど、それがまた素敵なんです。子どもの頃の、冬のお楽しみのひとつだったなあ。
#Nandina domestica Thunb.
#ナンテン 【長野県実家の庭】11月上旬
ナンテンも秋になると真っ赤に紅葉するのですが、霜が降りるくらいにならないと葉の色が変わらないんですよね。実つきの良い年と悪い年があって、この時はとても綺麗に沢山の実をつけていたので、撮ってみたのですが……。逆光だったせいかフラッシュ焚いてしまって、ちょっと不自然な感じに。
#Nandina domestica Thunb.
This guy/gal hung on on the nandina for a bit then continued on their journey. Whence to wherence know not do I.
They dress nicer than I do.
#bug #nandina #natureitlit
Nandina.
#Nandina #ClassicMono #Monochrome #Blackandwhite #B&W #PhotographersOfBluesky #PhotographersUnited
Orange leaves from a Nandina plant
#smArtist #Orange
The #orange colored leaves on a Nandina plant. Photo was taken in my backyard on Monday. July 2025
#plants #nandina #nature
#photography
#EastCoastKin
#photographersUnited
#Photographersofbluesky
#Nandina #HeavenlyBamboo
Seen on a walk and was mesmerized.
I think this is either the Tuscan Flame or Obsession variety. #RedWed #ColorADay #Plants #Garden #Photography
Nandina plant in the rain, red and green leaves
Raining all day, here’s Nandina covered in raindrops #POTD14 #photography #garden #Nandina #Springs #EastCoastKin #iphone
A riot of multicolored veined and rippled dwarf nandina leaves in varied shades of green to vivid reds, pink, fuchsia, persimmon, and yellow. The background is dark green bokeh.
#AlphabetChallenge #WeekMforMulticoloured 🌈🌿🍃
#Nandina #Foliage #NaturePhotography
#ナンテン 【長野県実家の庭】2月上旬
真っ赤な実。とても目立つのですが、野鳥が食べにきている姿を見た事がありません。あまり美味しくないのかな。枝が細くてしなるから、食べづらいのかな。
#Nandina domestica
Plump raindrops cling to new unfurling magenta leaves of a dwarf fire nandina. More mature magenta and green leaves surround the smaller leaves.
"True joy of nature is when every #drop of water shines like a pearl." – Anamika Mishra 💦🌿 #MacroMonday #MacroHour #MagentaMonday #Foliage #Raindrops #Nandina
Tenryu temple/天龍寺/2025.01.18
#Kyoto #京都 #arashiyama #嵐山
#sagano #嵯峨野
#sagaarashiyama #嵯峨嵐山
#TenryuTemple #天龍寺
#NearbyTemple #近所の寺
#WorldHeritage #世界遺産
#NearbyWorldHeritage #近所の世界遺産
#Nandina #南天 #ナンテン
