Stop That Heavenly Bamboo. (Nandina) is Invasive and Poisonous

by The Garden Frog with C Renee

You read that right. Nandina domestica or Heavenly Bamboo is a highly invasive and poisonous to the birds. Nandina grows in zones 6-9 and is semi evergreen to evergreen here in zone 7b. It has beautiful fall color, almost indestructible, and most landscapers plant this. Ugh, now I am on a mission to spread the word about planting natives.
Yes poisonous to the birds! I just read about this myself and I am flabbergasted. So the one and only Nandina I have had for 5 years that I salvaged from the dump will be going dug up. I have always known that is was invasive so I have it in a contained spot but I never knew that the berries were dangerous to birds. Can you imagine, me, a nature lover having a plant that could kill my feathered friends?
The berries of the nandina have cyanide and alkaloids that caused the death of Cedar waswings in Georgia a few years back. So digging up and destroying a plant (something that I am not very good at) is on my list before the weekend.
There is an alternative to the fall color of the Nandina and it is Itea virginica (virginina sweetspire) and Sweetspire can be grown in zones 5-9. This beautiful native may not have the berries for the birds but has beautiful red fall color.
Please read this: For those of you in zone 6-9 where Nandina grows, please reconsider this invasive and poisonous plant and look for native alternatives.
To read more please check out my newest blog!
Creating. Inspiring. Gardening without the rules!

invasive poisonous nandina bamboo garden tip, gardening

The berries on the Nandina are just starting to turn

this was taken yesterday at a new client's home. The nandina has spread over 20 feet and is almost 6 feet tall!

This is Itea virginica (Virginia sweetspire) in my native woodland garden. It is graceful and it colonizes but does not choke out other plants

One of my small transplants (Sweetspire) notice the beautiful red color!

Enjoyed the project?

You can do it! Saved to your projects

Frequently asked questions

Have a question about this project?

Ask a Question

Comments

Join the conversation

4 of 6 comments

R.V.R. Farris on Oct 29, 2014
I had watched Cedar Waxwings eat the berries for years at two different homes we had lived in, and was pleased as punch when we moved here and there was that line of nandinas along the west side of the house. I literally got sick to my stomach when I discovered the info about the berries being poisonous. My husband and I immediately tried to figure out what we could do and there's no way we could dig up all of the bushes. So, second best choice was keep them cut back. I've never planted the first one, every house we've had has had them in the landscape. They do seem particularly popular here in our neck of the woods.

1 Reply
- The Garden Frog with C Renee on Oct 29, 2014
  @R.V.R. Farris I was sick too! just keep the berries cut off. next year after they flower I would cut the flowers off. The landscapers recommend them to everyone here! as a matter of fact I am redoing a design for a woman where they were going to put a different cultivar in but then I told her about the poisonous berries and she changed her mind. keeping the berries cut off will slow down the spread too. happy gardening!
  
  2
Douglas Hunt on Oct 30, 2014
Good for you! There is way too much nandina in Florida. If anyone needs scientific evidence, see: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3005831/

2 Reply
- The Garden Frog with C Renee on Oct 30, 2014
  @Douglas Hunt great article and I am going to link this on my blog! thank you
  
  Like