What: Nandina domestica Gulf Stream is one of the best compact shrubs for year-round foliage interest. It features a variety of leaf colors on a fairly dense, evergreen plant. New growth is bronze with orange tints. Older leaves range from blue-green to gold and red.
Where: Gulf Stream is a tough plant, tolerant of urban conditions. Unlike other heavenly bamboos, it is bushy and compact. It makes a fine informal hedge or can be used as a foundation planting. It can also be used in containers or in the mixed border. Complement the dissected leaves of heavenly bamboo with large-leafed evergreen shrubs such as David’s viburnum or rhododendrons. The barks of paperbark maple and Chinese red birch pick up the tones of ‘Gulf Stream’ and make it shine.
Size: Grows to 3 feet tall by 3 feet wide in 10 years.
Care: This heavenly bamboo looks best in full sun to light or open shade. The foliage colors are more brilliant with more sun. It is drought tolerant once established but looks better with occasional summer watering. Because it seldom flowers in the cooler areas of the Pacific Northwest, it rarely has berries in the fall. It needs almost no pruning, only remove dead or broken limbs.
— greatplantpicks.org
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