Q What is this evergreen shrub? A
Rob Thompson, by email The shrub appears to be Nandina domestica domestica. It’s an evergreen and goes by the common name of sacred bamboo bamboo, although it’s it totally unrelated to bamboo and is actually in the berberis family. Nandina is native to Japan and China and is proving increasingly hardy in southern Britain. It forms a compact clump of upright stems bearing narrow leaves and produces sprays of small, white flowers in late summer and may set red berries in good summers, especially if there are other nandinas grown close by.
Garden centres are starting to stock an increasing range, such as ‘Fire Power’, with bright red new leaves, and ‘Magical Lemon and Lime’, with bright, light green new leaves. It’s best grown in a sheltered but sunny position. Nandinas generally don’t need routine pruning. If growing well in a good soil in a sunny, sheltered position they freely produce new growth from the base. Spindly or crowded stems can be pruned out at ground level as necessary in spring or early summer.