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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.
“By encouraging beneficial insects, companion planting can help pollination and overall plant health.”University of Florida
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8 Good Nandina Companion Plants You Should Grow
Some good companions for the heavenly bamboo are:
1. Loropetalum
With its vibrant pink to purple foliage, is a versatile choice for gardens. It beautifully complements a pink or purple color scheme. Its low-maintenance care requirements make it suitable for those seeking a fuss-free yet visually appealing addition to their landscape.
Graces the garden with its vibrant blooms from late winter or early spring, in rich hues of pink, red, or white. The blooming spectacle continues through the spring and into the heart of summer, adding a burst of color and life to the garden for several months.
For optimal care, provide well-drained, consistently moist soil. Maintain temperatures between 40-70°F and ensure the plant gets a minimum of four hours of daily sunlight to thrive.
Can be vulnerable to common pests like aphids and scale insects, which may introduce fungal and bacterial issues if left uncontrolled. Regular inspection and appropriate pest management are crucial for its overall health.
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
A good background plant, serves as an ideal addition to your garden, harmonizing seamlessly with your nandina color theme. Its vibrant foliage and low maintenance requirements make it a valuable choice, adding depth and visual interest while requiring minimal upkeep.
The blooming season for this plant begins with the arrival of spring and continues until the first signs of an early frost. Its vibrant blossoms bring a burst of color to the garden, making it a delightful choice for those seeking a long-lasting display of beauty.
Thrives in fertile, moist, and well-drained soil. Maintain a temperature range between 55 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit for this plant to flourish. Adequate sunlight is key, so make sure it receives at least five hours of daily sun to keep it healthy.
Budworms, spider mites, and leaf miners are the common pests that can cause trouble. Budworms chew on the buds, spider mites cause stippled leaves, and leaf miners create winding tunnels within the leaves. Vigilant pest management is key for a healthy plant.
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
Known for their rose-like appearance and a range of colors, these exquisite flowers make lovely additions to gardens. They're cherished for their ornamental beauty and are often used in floral arrangements, adding a touch of elegance to any setting.
This lovely plant graces our gardens with its vibrant blooms from late fall through early spring. Its blossoms add a splash of color during the cooler months, making it a delightful choice for winter interest in the garden.
Provide a well-draining soil that's humus-rich and sandy loam. Keep the temperature within the range of 50-90 degrees Fahrenheit, although it can tolerate lower temperatures. Ensure your plant gets either full sun or partial shade, depending on your climate and local conditions.
Common pests affecting this plant include petal blight, scales, and mites. Petal blight can mar the beauty of the blooms, while scales and mites can weaken the plant by sapping its nutrients.
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
These lovely blooms can serve as delightful cut flowers, adding a burst of color to floral arrangements. In gardens, they attract pollinators, enhancing biodiversity. Carnations also carry historical significance, symbolizing love and admiration, making them perfect for gifting and special occasions.
Blooming season for this plant begins in late spring and continues through to early fall. Its vibrant flowers grace the garden with a prolonged burst of color, making it a delightful addition to any landscape.
For optimal growth, this plant thrives in well-drained, fertile soil. Maintain a temperature range between 50-65 degrees Fahrenheit for the best results, ensuring it's not exposed to extreme cold or heat. Place it in a location that receives full sun.
Can be vulnerable to several pests, including the Carnation leaf roller, which damages leaves by rolling them, the Beet armyworm, and the notorious Cabbage looper, which munches on their foliage. Regular monitoring and organic pest control methods are essential to protect them.
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
They are very easy to care for and offer multiple flower colors that beautifully complement nandina flowers. Their low maintenance nature and diverse bloom hues make them a fantastic addition to any garden or landscape.
This plant's blooming season kicks off in the heart of winter, adding a touch of color to the garden when it's needed most. The delicate blossoms continue to grace us with their presence until late spring.
For optimal growth, this plant thrives in soil that remains consistently moist. Keep the temperature range between 40-65 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure its well-being. Provide it with filtered or indirect light, making sure it's shielded from direct sun exposure.
Susceptible to common garden pests, notably snails and slugs, which can munch on their leaves and flowers. Additionally, they may suffer from powdery mildew, a fungal issue that affects their overall health.
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
Known for their beautiful appearance and are loved by gardeners for their vibrant, snap-like blooms. These versatile plants add a burst of color to any garden and are often used for cut flower arrangements, bringing their charm indoors.
Known for their vibrant blossoms. Their blooming season starts in the spring when they burst into colorful life and continues until early frost arrives. These hardy perennials offer a long-lasting display of flowers, making them a favorite in many gardens.
For optimal growth, provide them with nutrient-rich, well-drained soil, and maintain temperatures between 60-75 degrees Fahrenheit. This plant thrives in full sun, so ensure it receives ample sunlight to flourish.
Aphids, mites, and mealybugs are the common pests that can plague them. These tiny but troublesome insects can damage the leaves and flowers, affecting the overall health. Regular monitoring and appropriate pest control measures, such as insecticidal soaps or neem oil, are essential.
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
These plants are renowned for their wide range of varieties and colors, making them a versatile choice for any garden. These low-maintenance plants are incredibly easy to care for, requiring minimal attention while adding texture and beauty to your landscape.
A delightful addition to any garden, boasting a long blooming season that starts in spring and continues right through to fall. Its graceful plumes of flowers sway gently in the breeze, adding a touch of elegance to your landscape.
For healthy growth, ensure the soil is loose and slightly acidic. Maintain a temperature range between 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit. Provide ample sunlight, ideally in full sun to partial shade, to foster lush ornamental grasses.
Aphids, mites, and ants are common pests. Aphids, those tiny, sap-sucking insects, tend to cluster on the leaves, while mites can cause stippling damage. Ants may not directly harm the grass but often protect aphid colonies, exacerbating the pest problem.
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
You can use bamboo as trellises for this prolific plant that yields sweet berries. It not only adds beauty to your garden but also provides a delicious harvest for jams, desserts, and fresh snacking.
The blooming season for this plant begins in early spring, gracing us with its vibrant blossoms, and continues into late spring. As the weather warms, it transitions into its fruiting phase, typically by the onset of summer.
For optimal growth, this plant thrives in soil that is consistently moist yet well-drained. It prefers temperatures within the range of 40-80 degrees Fahrenheit, making it adaptable to various climates. Place it in a location with full sun exposure.
Susceptible to several common pests, including the Cottony maple scale, which can infest the branches and leaves. Additionally, the Currant borer may tunnel into the stems, causing structural damage. Keep an eye out for the Currant aphid, as it can weaken the plant
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.
