'Fire Power' is a cultivar of heavenly bamboo, a drought-tolerant evergreen shrub, in the barberry family (Berberidaceae). This produces very few flowers or fruit and is grown primarily for its attractive foliage. 'Fire Power' is a dwarf form of heavenly bamboo that typically grows to only 2 feet tall and as wide. Because ‘Fire Power’ is essentially sterile (non-fruiting), it can be considered a non-invasive variety of heavenly bamboo that carries a much lower risk of bird poisoning. While evergreen, the leaves usually retain excellent red color throughout winter. The dwarf cultivars, including 'Fire Power' are often put to use as low maintenance ground cover for traffic islands and similar landscape applications where toughness is a useful trait and suckering would not be an issue. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No serious insect or disease problems. Foliage may develop chlorosis in alkaline soils. The wild-type heavenly bamboo is considered invasive in North Carolina mountains and southern Piedmont; however, the sterile cultivars are much less problematic and are much less likely to escape. More information on Nandina domestica .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Often confused withNandina domestica 'Gulf Stream'
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Wet
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
Lime-green foliage in the spring and summer gives way to red-orange foliage in the fall.
Fall color
Red/Burgundy
Flower detail
Mostly flowerless
Fruit detail
Mostly fruitless
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Wildlife value
Resistant to deer
Attracts
Small Mammals; Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Edibility
Birds and small mammals eat the fruits.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal; Container; Patio; Pool/Hardscape; Small Space
Landscape theme
Cottage Garden; Rock Garden
Design feature
Border; Hedge; Mass Planting; Small groups
Garden tags
#salt tolerant #evergreen #deer resistant #seedless #mass planting #showy leaves #dwarf #fruitless #cpp #aggressive #naturalizes #heavy shade tolerant #drought tolerant #salt spray tolerant #fall interest #weedy #disturbed areas #sterile #fast growing #problem for dogs #problem for cats #problem for cattle #problem for children #problem for horses #HS111
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Cottony Cushion Scale
Problems
Poisonous to Humans; Problem for Cats; Problem for Children; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses
Resistant to
Deer; Drought; Salt
Propagation
Stem Cutting
Poison severity
High
Poison parts
Leaves; Stems
Poison symptoms
Hydrogen cyanide is highly poisonous if ingested in quantity. All parts are toxic to humans, cats, dogs, livestock, and horses. Weakness, incoordination, seizures, coma, respiratory failure, and death can occur from ingestion.