Landscape Performance and Fruiting of Nine Heavenly Bamboo Selections Grown in Northern and Southern Florida

A wild-type selection of heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica)andeightcultivars were evaluated in northern and southern Florida for 144 weeks. Onset of ?owering generally began by April and May in southern Florida and 4 to 8 weeks later in northern Florida. Fruit was ?rst noted 4 to 8 weeks after most cultivars began ?owering. Landscape performance and fruit production varied widely among taxa and location. 'AKA', 'Firehouse', 'Firepower', and 'Firestorm' heavenly bamboo did not ?ower or fruit in either location. Greater plant growth, survival, and fruiting were observed in northern Florida than in southern Florida. In both locations, the wild-type form of heavenly bamboo produced more fruit than 'Alba', 'Gulf Stream', 'Monfar', and 'Moyer's Red'. Seed viability was fairly consistent among fruiting cultivars, ranging from 69 percent to 89 percent. Nuclear DNA content and ploidy analysis indicated that all nine nandina cultivars were diploids, suggesting that tetraploidy is not the genetic cause of the non-fruiting trait in 'AKA', 'Firehouse', 'Firepower', and 'Firestorm'. Results of this study offer insight into future non-invasive heavenly bamboo breeding efforts and emphasize the importance of cultivar and geographic distinctions when regarding theinvasivestatusof a species.