The drab landscape is spotted with bright color thanks to red-berried Nandina.
No maintenance, deer resistance, and drought tolerance allow Nandina to thrive in Georgia. Commonly and misleadingly called “heavenly bamboo”, it’s not a bamboo. The only member of it’s own genus, Nandina, the plant is toxic to some animals. While “generally classified as non-toxic to humans”, care should be taken to keep them away from high traffic areas where pets or children could ingest them.
This plant is super invasive in Georgia and should never be planted. I pull every one of them I can find in my woods. They are sold in nurseries and stores, but I have found over the years they have little value in the woods or garden, due to their prolific spread into the native forests. Maybe a variety without seeds that does not spread?
