Hi Just bought 2 lovely nandinas Firepower and obsessed. To get maximum red colour every autumn/winter are they best placed in a sunny situation all year round or will they red up just as good in shade.?? Cheers Kevin
this is a good question. i have two. they are on a patio, not quite sunshine half the day, maybe 40% of the day. my two potted nandinas did take on a nice deep red in autumn, but i can't be sure if the would be better in more sun, or more shade....so interested to hear if anyone can answer this.
on a side note, these two spent a year struggling in a heavy soil before i lifted/potted them and they perked up much better in a compost/potted scenario.
This is a plant that prefers acid to neutral soil, but it will also do well in rich, moist conditions in summer. Don't let it become waterlogged in winter. Some sun will produce the best colouring, but partial shade will not matter, provided you choose a sheltered corner. The smaller versions such as 'Fire Power' or 'Gulf Stream' do well in pots. 'Richmond' seems to be the most reliable for berries.
Nandina domestica can grow to more than 2m (6.5ft) in the right conditions, and in the southern states of the US it has a reputation for being invasive.
Its berries are mildly toxic to pets, but birds love them. Berries will germinate extremely slowly, so propagation from cuttings is more reliable. Take them in summer from semi-ripe wood and keep them in a heated propagator until they root. Overwinter under glass or give plants some protection for the first two years. If it is happy, Nandina domestica will produce runners that can be dug up and replanted.
Can't take the credit from above, I got it from the Telegraph. I bought 3 nandinas for a neighbour when we planted up his front bed, from memory they were "Obsession". They are in full sun (South facing),look really healthy and have produced berries. Typically, the ones I bought for myself haven't done as well, but they are getting there.
Mine definitely colour up more in sun - this is my Firepower, tucked into a wall crevice that bakes in the sun, in a scratching of poor alkaline clay, rarely watered, seems tough as old boots:
... and the following are Gulf Stream - the first in shade and the second in sun:
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
N. 'Firepower' has a very different habit from most of the other varieties of nandinas. I personally do not like it, too showy and too often seen along roads and at roundabouts, so it's a no no in my own garden! I have 2 nandinas: N. domestica ‘Obsessed’, which I keep in the shade. Lovely habit and colours; and N. domestica ‘Brightlight’, which I planted in the sun, it does not have a very spectacular foliage but nice flowers and cream-white berries.
Horses for courses, @Papi Jo... I inherited the Firepowers, I’m not so keen on the shiny leaves, but they do give fantastic colour. Nandinas in general are roundabout/outside restaurant plants here too, but I try not to hold that against them! I will look out for Brightlight, thats lovely.
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
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on a side note, these two spent a year struggling in a heavy soil before i lifted/potted them and they perked up much better in a compost/potted scenario.
... and the following are Gulf Stream - the first in shade and the second in sun:
I have 2 nandinas: N. domestica ‘Obsessed’, which I keep in the shade. Lovely habit and colours; and N. domestica ‘Brightlight’, which I planted in the sun, it does not have a very spectacular foliage but nice flowers and cream-white berries.
I really like your N. 'Gulf Stream', @Nollie.