Nandina domestica 'Gulf Stream'

Gulf Stream Nandina

Nandina domestica ‘Gulf Stream’
Gulf Stream Nandina / Heavenly Bamboo

Nandina domestica ‘Gulf Stream’ is a compact broadleaf evergreen to semi-evergreen shrub valued for year-round foliage color. New growth often emerges bronze, copper, orange, or reddish, matures to blue-green or green, then turns shades of red, bronze, and crimson in fall and winter. It has a dense, rounded, bushy form and is commonly used in foundations, low hedges, mass plantings, mixed borders, and containers. It rarely produces fruit, making it a lower-risk nandina selection compared with berry-heavy forms of Nandina domestica.

Type: Broadleaf evergreen / semi-evergreen shrub
Mature Size: 3–5 ft. wide × 3–4 ft. tall
USDA Zones: 6a–9b
Form: Dense, compact, rounded mound
Light: Full sun to part shade; best winter color with good sun
Soil / Water: Average, moist, well-drained soil; moderate water, drought tolerant once established
Bloom Time / Length: Late spring; small white flowers, but flowering and fruiting are usually sparse
Wildlife: Rare fruiting lowers bird-attraction and bird-toxicity concerns compared with fruiting nandinas; berries of Nandina domestica species can be toxic to birds and pets.

Features & Landscape Uses:
Excellent for winter foliage color, low foundation plantings, edging, massing, containers, and mixed shrub borders. ‘Gulf Stream’ is more upright and slightly larger than ‘Fire Power,’ with finer, bamboo-like foliage and strong red-bronze winter tones. Because Nandina domestica can be invasive in some regions, sterile or rarely fruiting cultivars such as ‘Gulf Stream’ are generally preferred where nandina is used.

Care:
Plant in well-drained soil and water regularly during establishment. Prune selectively in late winter or early spring to remove older stems or shape lightly; avoid heavy shearing, which can spoil the natural layered form. Best color develops with sun, but part shade is helpful in hotter climates.

Plant type

Broadleaf Evergreen

Height

3-4'

Width

3-5'

Hardiness zones

6–9

Sunlight

Full Sun, Partial Shade

Growth rate

Moderate

Bloom time

Late Spring

Flower color

White

Leaf color

Green

Fall color

Red

Soil

Average, Moist well-drained

Landscape use

Accent Plant, Hedge, Mass Planting

Shape

Compact, Dense, Rounded

Bark

Smooth

Deer resistant

Yes

Drought tolerant

No