- Charming, Tiny Nandina Cultivar That Resembles Bamboo
- Acid Yellow-Green Foliage Tinged With Purple Catches Your Eye
- Incredible Ruby-Red Fall and Winter Color
- Cupped, Compound Leaves Grow on Long, Non-Branching Stems
- Upright, Stiff Growth Habit Looks Formal
- Spreads a Bit Wider Than Tall
- Grows in Full Sun to Part Shade
- Disease, Pest, Heat and Drought Resistance
- Easy Care
Look, we could all use a little help polishing up the edges of our landscaping. These small, versatile, high-performers will help you take things to the next level.
With a tight, mounded habit, Dwarf Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina domestica ‘Atropurpurea Nana’) gives you an easy-care, tropical look. The marvelous chartreuse foliage is burnished with a hint of purple.
As the nights start getting colder, this petite powerhouse turns an incredible fall color. Use it to fire up your planting beds and containers for a brilliant display.
Grow them in the ground, or add to your outdoor containers. They’ll look great no matter where you place them.
In containers, they’ll make a wonderful study in a single species all by themselves. Or…use Dwarf Heavenly Bamboo as a “Thriller” in the center of arrangements.
If your pot is large enough, they can even be used as “Fillers” surrounding a Black Diamond Crape Myrtle or Green Mountain Boxwood Topiary. Why not go all out this season?
They are named for their Bamboo-like looks, but are not actually related. Dwarf Heavenly Bamboo develops fine-textured, compound leaves near the tips of individual, unbranched stems.
The overall look is very energetic. A single plant will sway in the breeze, and a long row of them will ripple together in a vibrant series of waves. Consider them a living, kinetic wind sculpture.
They also deliver a powerful visual impact. Each leaf might be a slightly different color, for a bit of fabulous complexity.
The form is compact. The care of this disease and pest-resistant plant is blessedly easy. Give them some shade in hot climates, or plan to provide extra water.
How to Use Dwarf Heavenly Bamboo in the Landscape
Line all the beds in your landscape with a ribbon of color. This design secret helps tie together the look of the entire design.
Consider these as a groundcover to fill bare areas with hot, wine-red color. Plant them 18 inches apart for a solid display.
These plants can be grown on the east side of mature evergreen trees. “Pop” that purple-tinted, red brilliance against the steady green of Pine or Arborvitae.
Add them to cutting gardens. You’ll want to tuck that bold, multicolored foliage into your arrangements.
You should also consider adding these as perfectly poised “facer” plants to hide the bare, leggy stems of taller shrubs and Hybrid Tea Roses.
Tips for Care
These rugged plants are easy to care for and grow in full sun or shaded conditions. In very hot areas, give them shade in the afternoon, and mulch over the root system to keep it cool.
You might consider a sheltered spot. For example, they’ll thrive under the dappled shade of a Western Redbud or other small flowering tree.
It needs well-drained soil. Create a raised planting bed or use in containers, if you have soil that retains water a long time.
Water carefully to establish, and provide supplemental water during long periods of drought from then on. You will get the best color with consistent color.
Prune to shape once a year in late winter before new growth appears. Very gently rake your massed plantings to remove fallen foliage.
