Nandina domestica, commonly known as Heavenly Bamboo or Sacred Bamboo, is a broadleaf evergreen shrub native to eastern Asia with attractive bamboo-like foliage and bright red berries. Seeds have pronounced dormancy with underdeveloped embryos requiring cold stratification of 60-90 days to break dormancy and achieve successful germination. Although natural germination without stratification can take up to 9 months, proper cold stratification reduces germination time to 30-90 days with germination rates up to 78%.
Before sowing
Cold stratification at 4°C for 60-90 days significantly increases germination and shortens germination time. Seeds have morphophysiological dormancy with underdeveloped embryos at maturity.
Sowing
What to expect
Tips
Remove red pulp from berries by soaking in warm water for 24 hours, then apply cold stratification in moist peat moss or vermiculite at 4°C for 60-90 days. Use fresh seeds for best results, as older seeds take much longer to germinate. Sow at shallow depth (3-6mm) in well-draining, sterile seed compost. Maintain consistently moist soil and keep in cool conditions during stratification. After cold stratification, move to warm location (18-20°C) for germination. Germination is often slow and erratic; sow thinly to allow for adequate spacing. Select larger seeds when possible as they germinate better than smaller ones.
Sources: USDA Forest Service, ScienceDirect (2016), Sheffield's Seed Company, Plant World Seeds, Hawaii Cooperative Extension, Multiple seed companies and propagation resources
