Nandina is also known as Heavenly Bamboo (although it has no relation to bamboo)

The plant is an upright shrub with a flat-topped crown of foliage that, if not tended, will become leggy at the base and may reach a height of 10 feet or more. Propagation is usually by root suckers (rhizomes). Its preferred habitat is thick woods, shaded yards and the edge of swamps. Distribution is throughout the Escambia region.

The leaves are evergreen, alternate on the stem, bi- or tri-pinnately compound and may spread to as much as 24 inches long and equally as wide. Each leaflet is sub-sessile; widest at the middle and lance-like in shape; no teeth and no lobes; leathery but smooth to the touch; bluish-green in summer color and reddish-green in winter. The leaf tip may taper to a long or short point with the sides being less than equal or pinched, setting it off abruptly from the lower portion of the leaf body. The base is wedge-shaped.

Flowers are bisexual in nature and symmetrical in form. New buds are pinkish in color, turning white when fully matured. Three to six petals are borne in an erect cluster at the end of the flowering stem. The anthers are yellow. Each flower is about 1/4 inch across. The panicle of flowers may be 8 to 15 inches long. The more healthy and vigorous flowers are achieved when the plant is kept in partial shade.

Fruit is a two-seeded, bright red or orange berry that ripens in September and October, persisting into and through winter.

The large panicles of berries are so heavy the branches usually bend to a drooping cluster. Because the berries are more prominently displayed on the outer margins of the plant it is often preferred over local hollies as a Christmas decoration.

Several cultivars have been created and carry common names like Gulf Stream, Compact, and Harbor Dwarf.