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Heavenly Bamboo

Nandina domestica

An invasive, cane-forming shrub with finely divided leaves and persistent red fruit. Found in forests and woodlands in suburban areas, commonly planted, increasingly escaping and naturalizing. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

Poisonous if eaten

Not native to Alabama. Not suggested for planting. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 82%

Height
3–8 feet
Spread
2–5 feet
Light
Dappled sunlight, Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Usually moist
See native alternatives

Do not plant. Listed invasive in Alabama.

Poisonous if eaten. Berries and foliage are toxic; the fruit can harm birds. Plant caution source

Hidden from default planting suggestions. Wildlife value and native status remain unchanged.

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At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Evergreen
Bloom
May to June
Fruiting season
October to November

Recorded in 48 Alabama counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Forests and woodlands

Trail on Little Kennesaw Mountain.
Named place / source context. Shown: Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Georgia, a neighboring state.Trail on Little Kennesaw Mountain., Unidentified in HFC record, undated. Public domain. Source record.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Alabama. Shared habitat, not food. 89 animals.

All wildlife of Alabama

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

2CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Nandina

  • Megalopyge opercularisSouthern Flannel Moth, Puss Caterpillar
  • Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Berberidaceae
Hardiness
Zones 6a–9b
Soil pH
Acidic to alkaline
Flower color
White
Growth rate
Rapid
Growth habit
Several stems
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
October
Fruit ends
November

Choose a locally appropriate native alternative. Berries and foliage are toxic; fruit can harm birds. NC State Extension

Growing sources and scope
  • Bloom · “May to June” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
  • Flower color · “White” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Fruit begins · “October” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
  • Fruit ends · “November” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
  • Growth habit · “Several stems” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Growth rate · “Rapid” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Hardiness · “Zones 6a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Height · “3–8 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs)
  • Leaves · “Evergreen” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Light · “Dappled sunlight (shade through upper canopy all day); Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • primary_flower_color · “white” · USDA PLANTS
  • Soil · “Moist” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Soil pH · “Acidic to alkaline” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Spread · “2–5 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Recognizing it

Large leaves divide two or three times into leaflets. White flower clusters mature into red berries. Identification source

Also known as

Nandina; Sacred Bamboo

Conservation status

Alabama rankSNA
Global rankGNR
AL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Sources