General: The heavenly bamboo, also called sacred dwarf bamboo, does not belong to the bamboo family, but to the barberry family. It has its natural distribution in Japan, central China and India. It grows here as a multi-stemmed shrub with thin, barely branched shoots and can reach a height of up to two meters. The leaves are evergreen and change very interesting colors over the course of the year. When they shoot, they are initially red and then turn light green. In autumn the leaves turn reddish, yellowish or orange again. A green leaf color then develops again in spring. The plant is separate from the sexes, and when male and female specimens stand together, the female will produce attractive bright red berries in August. The heavenly bamboo is often found in temple gardens in Japan. Together with its bamboo-like growth, this was probably the name given to it.
Care as a bonsai: In Central Europe, the sky bamboo is only partially hardy and is usually cultivated as a container plant. For this reason, it should be kept frost-free and cool in winter. In summer, however, it can also grow very well outdoors. Its straight and spreading growth, with its colourful, feathery leaves, loosens up the overall picture and adds colour to the bonsai collection. Nandines prefer a semi-shady location and humus-rich soil. Waterlogging should be avoided at all costs, but the soil should not dry out either. The care of the sky bamboo is otherwise uncomplicated. Shoots that are too long should be shortened and thinned out if they are too dense.
Special features of the variety: The ‘Fire Power‘ variety is much more compact than the species. The plants also stay smaller and have an intense autumn color.
