8 Nandina Companion Plants To Match in a Beautiful Garden

Nandina companion plants will not just add to the beauty of the sacred bamboo in your garden, but they will also add extra value.

When growing Nandina domestica plants, you should consider adding flowers with colors that contrast with their own colors or follow a specific theme. Adding compatible grasses can also work very well.

Read this article to learn about the best plants you can pair your nandinas with.

8 Good Nandina Companion Plants You Should Grow

Some good companions for the heavenly bamboo are:

1. Loropetalum

Surely, this is one beautiful plant that you can grow close to your nandinas. Loropetalum plants have leaves and flowers with colors that match those of your bamboo, as their evergreen leaves can be green, orange or purple, depending on the season, while their flowers can be pink or white.

These colors complement those of ‘Gulf Stream’ or other nandina cultivars, so you can use them together to achieve a specific garden color theme.

Wondering what to plant with Lemon Lime nandina? If you are living in USDA hardiness zones 6-9, you can easily grow this heavenly bamboo and loropetalum without any problems. Both plants are easy to care for. Just make sure that the soil is nutrient-rich and never completely dry.

2. Petunias

Look at it this way: you’d grow the petunias around the nandinas. Petunia flowers have varieties of different colors, so you either surround your bamboo with petunia flowers matching its colors or you grow many petunias of different colors.

While petunias and nandina bamboo are not related in any way, you can surely grow them as companions.

Just in case the soil around the nandinas becomes too soggy for petunias to grow on, you can plant these in pots and place them just close to the nandina in containers. Note that petunias and nandinas make good companions because of their flower colors and nothing more.

3. Camellias

If you have always wanted to grow roses, but can’t because of the thorns as well as the issue of compatibility with other plants, here is another beautiful flower that you can grow.

Camellias look like roses and they also come in different colors. You can plant a lot of camellias with flower colors such as white, peach or pink near your nandinas so that the nandina bamboo will have companions that boost their beautiful appearance.

If you see your camellia leaves turning yellow, it could mean that the plant roots are stressed or the plants may not be getting enough sunlight. The roots can be stressed when the soil is alkaline or if it gets dry quickly. Also, check that the nandinas are not blocking sunlight from reaching the camellias.

4. Carnations

Of course, you can grow carnations and nandinas together. Just as in the case of petunias and other flowers, surround the nandina plants with carnations so that the carnation bloom (coupled with the beauty of the bamboo) will cause many bypassers to stare.

Carnation plants and nandinas are compatible, as they can grow in similar conditions and none inhibits the growth of the other.

So long as you are living in USDA hardiness zones 6-9, you can grow both carnations and nandinas in the same spot without any problems. Also, ensure that you occasionally amend the soil if it gets too soggy so that the carnations can grow optimally.

5. Hellebore

Here’s one little beauty that will truly appreciate growing near Nandinas. Hellebores are perennial flowers that prefer to grow in shaded locations and produce some very beautiful flowers.

You can place them as close to the bamboo as you wish, as they prefer to grow in the type of shade that plants like nandina provide. These flowers come in white, pink and other colors, so they can easily blend in with the nandinas.

For this companion, make sure that the soil never runs dry. Hellebores prefer consistently moist soil, so ensure that you grow them in the right conditions. Remember to protect them from sunlight, especially in the summer months.

6. Snapdragons

When it comes to bragging about beauty, nandinas aren’t the only ones, as snapdragon flowers can easily steal the show. Well, you can get the most beautiful garden when you grow nandinas and snapdragons together.

This combination is not only possible, but it is also highly recommended, as both plants can grow in the same conditions.

While snapdragons prefer USDA hardiness zones 7-10, nandinas can grow in zones 6-9. This means that if you are in zones 7-9, you can grow nandina bamboo and snapdragons together with ease. Note that snapdragons are not heavy feeders, although the soil should not be nutrient-depleted.

7. Ornamental Grasses

Some ornamental grasses that you can grow very close to your nandina bamboo to bring out the beauty of the bamboo are fountain grass, feather reed grass, switchgrass and little bluestem.

While some of these plants are native plants, others are from other regions, yet they can grow with the nandinas. Plant the bamboo in the middle of your preferred grass and you’d see how its color and shape match those of the grass.

Grasses are super easy to maintain so long as the soil remains moist. Keep in mind that you’d need to cut the grasses regularly so that they can stay in shape and size. Even though these grasses are beautiful and they match that of the bamboo, they can quickly lose their beauty if you let them overgrow.

8. Redcurrant

Here’s a very weird, yet beautiful combination for your Obsession nandina or old-fashioned nandina. Redcurrants are berry-bearing shrubs that can lean on the bamboo and produce red berries to match the red or pink color of your bamboo.

While the nandina can carry the weight of redcurrants, you may want to add extra support, especially when the shrub starts producing fruits, so that the bamboo does not weaken or grow bent.

The bamboos act as a shade for the currants, as these prefer cooler atmospheres to warmer ones. Note that while redcurrants can grow in USDA hardiness zones 3-8, they are hardy in zones 3 and 4 and nandinas aren’t in those zones. This means that the companionship between the two plants can only work in zones 6-8.

Conclusion

The companions for your sacred bamboo are truly beautiful and will surely catch the attention of your visitors.

You have learned the following points from this article:

• Very beautiful flowers that match the beauty of nandinas are loropetalums, camellias and hellebores.
• If the soil becomes soggy, amend it quickly so that the nandina companion does not die, as the soil may be too wet for it.
• Grow your nandina bamboo in the middle of petunia or carnation plants and see how their colors would match.
• Some ornamental grasses that you can grow with your nandinas are feather reed grass, switchgrass and little bluestem.
• Always remember the needs of your nandina companions and ensure that you account for these so that the plants can grow well with the bamboo.

As a reminder, ensure that you know the specific needs of your nandina companions before you grow them so that you can enjoy them for a long time.

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