I was told 20 years ago that it was "ornamental bamboo". It hasn't "spread" but has feathery green foliage year round and flowers, then develops red berries in clusters.

It's growing in Central Florida. I was going to relocate it and/or give it to someone if it can withstand being dug up and transplanted but since I don't know what it is, I don't know what to do.

Not bamboo but a plant with the common name of "Heavenly Bamboo" - Nandina domestica

It's Nandina domestica, also known as Heavenly Bamboo, but is actually a member of the Berberis family.

It will transplant quite well. I recently relocated a 10 year old specimen without any bother, just make sure you get a good sized rootball when lifting it.


Heavenly Bamboos (Nandina domestica)

Nandina/Heavenly Bamboo can become invasive especially in the southern/warmer states.

Keep in mind that the plant may not become a pest in New Jersey, but the seeds are carried by birds that have no respect for state lines or climate zones. They drop seeds wherever and whenever.

It's a pretty plant but it's not native to the US.

Thank you all for your kind and informative replies! I've just spent the morning digging out two root balls/stumps of old azaleas that had seen better days and need replacing. Kind of weary now and guaranteed I'll feel it tomorrow....but ya still gotta LOVE digging in the dirt!

Are the roots for this plant shallow or deep? After tackling the azalea roots, I'm concerned about digging up the Heavenly Bamboo.

I've dug up both & from my experiences, I think you're in for more work of about the same caliber, possibly more if your Nandina is the kind that forms lateral shoots right under the soil surface. I've dug more Nandinas than azaleas but from what I've seen, leaving some azalea roots won't result in the azalea growing back, but leaving Nandina roots will result in new growth sprouting from them.

If I ever have the task of removing a Nandina again, I will put a hard smother over the spot after the excavation for about a year, something much stronger than cardboard, like a piece of sheet metal, because I've never successfully gotten rid of one by just digging up all the roots I could find one time, it's always required repeated efforts.

PeggyB, hello from another Port Orange, Fl resident!

I agree with what has already been said, Heavenly Bamboos (Nandina domestica) may be a difficult plant to eradicate; it spreads by suckers and underground runners. It can be such a pretty plant but is listed by the Florida Pest Plant Council as a Category I non-native invasive:
http://www.plantatlas.usf.edu/...
https://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/wp...

Thanks for the heads up, purpleinopp! I think I'm going to try to carefully dig them up for transplanting behind my house but if I have to struggle too much, I may just get rid of them entirely, since I'm not fond of non-native invasives. (Thank you, plantladylin!)

So nice to know there's someone else from Port Orange here!

PeggyB said:So nice to know there's someone else from Port Orange here! :)

In our member list there are a few members listed with the location of Port Orange but I've never seen any of them on here. I've been around a long time (Volusia county, as well as garden.org and it's previous sites.) We settled in Daytona Beach when my husband got out of the Navy in 1973. About three years ago he thought he was ready to partially retire so we bought a home in Sebastian, Fl (Indian River county) and he commuted 2 days a week to teach ... but he's since decided that he wants to continue teaching awhile longer and the commute was getting to be a bit much, so we bought a home in Port Orange and moved back to the area in October.

I've been in Port Orange for over 33 years and love it here, although I've been snowbirding for the last couple of years since my boyfriend is from NJ, so I actually get to garden up north for 5 months, too. Never a dull gardening moment!

PeggyB said: I think I'm going to try to carefully dig them up for transplanting behind my house...

there's no need to be careful.
Stuff is a weed. Can't hardly kill it.

Also... Those berries are very poisonous... Full of cyanide, kills migratory birds.

Best thing to do... Dig and burn!

Plenty of native stuff that is healthy for the birds... Like blueberries or cranberries.