Flower profile

Heavenly bamboo

Nandina domestica

Introduced in the lower 48

Heavenly bamboo is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 10 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–June.

9states

10of our state lists

27,962U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas

Quick look

Nandina domestica commonly known as nandina, heavenly bamboo or sacred bamboo, is a species of flowering plant in the family Berberidaceae, native to eastern Asia from the Himalayas to Japan. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Nandina. Despite its name, it is not a true bamboo.
From Wikipedia's article Nandina, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Berberidaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 9 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
In Texas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. ^iNaturalist
In North Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–June. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as early summer. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 8 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 12,395 research-grade sightings of it in Texas, ranking #41 among the 109 flowers on our Texas list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,495 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #40 among the 111 flowers on our North Carolina list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,626 research-grade sightings of it in Georgia, ranking #18 among the 111 flowers on our Georgia list. ^iNaturalist

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (221 records)

Bloom time in each of our 10 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Texas	Introduced	April–May	12,395
North Carolina	Introduced	May–June	3,495
Georgia	Introduced	few records	2,626
Alabama	Introduced	few records	1,998
Tennessee	Introduced	few records	1,209
Arkansas	Introduced	few records	1,194
South Carolina	Introduced	few records	1,102
Louisiana	Introduced	few records	525
Mississippi	Introduced	few records	442
Oklahoma	Introduced	few records	366

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. ^NatureServe
Texas: Not listed Not on Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Texas. ^{31 TAC 69.8}
North Carolina: Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in North Carolina. ^{02 NCAC 48F .0301}
Georgia: Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Georgia. ^{Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09}
Alabama: No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Alabama.
Tennessee: Not listed Not on Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Tennessee. ^{TN rule 0400-06-02-.04}
Arkansas: No list Arkansas has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Arkansas ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Arkansas.
South Carolina: No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in South Carolina.
Louisiana: No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Louisiana.
Mississippi: No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Mississippi.
Oklahoma: No list Oklahoma has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Oklahoma ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Oklahoma.
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleCaution: partly edible, partly poisonous

NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: high). Poisonous parts: fruits, leaves, stems. Symptoms they list: “Hydrogen cyanide is highly poisonous if ingested in quantity. All parts are toxic to humans, cats, dogs, livestock, horses, and birds such as the Cedar Waxwing. Weakness, incoordination, seizures, coma, respiratory failure, and death can occur from ingestion.” They also note: “Berries are poisonous if ingested.” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsToxic to dogs, cats and horses

ASPCA's entry “Heavenly Bamboo” (Nandina domestica) lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Signs include: Weakness, incoordination, seizures, coma, respiratory failure, death (rare in… ^ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records heavenly bamboo in 9 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia.

Texas counties with USDA records: Brazos, Dallas, Gillespie, Grayson, Harris, Liberty, Madison, McLennan, Montgomery, Tarrant, Travis, Walker.

North Carolina counties with USDA records: Guilford, Orange.

More Texas flowers

Mayapple

Podophyllum peltatum

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Agarita

Berberis trifoliolata

Native

🌼 Blooms in TX: February–March

Leatherleaf mahonia

Berberis bealei

Introduced

🌼 Blooms: January–December

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile NADO.
iNaturalist, Nandina domestica: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Nandina (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Texas: Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
Texas: Texas noxious and invasive plant list (4 Tex. Admin. Code § 19.300(a)).
North Carolina: North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301).
North Carolina: North Carolina Noxious Weed List (02 NCAC 48A .1702) (the list names any non-native Lythrum; we apply it to purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), which isn't native).
Georgia: Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed).
Alabama: Alabama noxious weeds (Ala. Admin. Code r. 80-10-14-.04).
Tennessee: Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act).
Tennessee: Tennessee Pest Plant List (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-06-24-.02).
Arkansas: Arkansas State Plant Board noxious weeds and prohibited plants (2 CAR § 50-101).
South Carolina: South Carolina State Plant Pest List, plants (S.C. Code Regs. 27-135; Clemson Dept. of Plant Industry).
Mississippi: Mississippi Noxious Weed List (2 Miss. Code R. 1-3-01-136.01).
Oklahoma: Oklahoma Noxious Weed Law (2 O.S. § 3-220).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Nandina domestica (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension; ASPCA.
Photo: Lexi Amico via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.