Johnson Brothers Plant Finder

Other Names:  Heavenly Bamboo

Description:

A colorful, open evergreen shrub; features foliage that changes colors through spring, summer and fall; excellent in mass plantings for color and textural effect; bright red berries one month before other varieties

Ornamental Features

Moyer's Red Dwarf Nandina has attractive bluish-green evergreen foliage which emerges coppery-bronze in spring on a plant with an upright spreading habit of growth. The glossy pointy bipinnately compound leaves are highly ornamental and turn an outstanding red in the fall, which persists throughout the winter. It has masses of beautiful panicles of shell pink flowers rising above the foliage from late spring to early summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It produces red berries from mid fall to late winter. The smooth bark and brick red branches are extremely showy and add significant winter interest.

Landscape Attributes

Moyer's Red Dwarf Nandina is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Suckering

Moyer's Red Dwarf Nandina is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Moyer's Red Dwarf Nandina will grow to be about 6 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years.

This shrub performs well in both full sun and full shade. However, you may want to keep it away from hot, dry locations that receive direct afternoon sun or which get reflected sunlight, such as against the south side of a white wall. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under average home landscape conditions. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Moyer's Red Dwarf Nandina makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.