Nandina is grown for its foliage and the structure it brings to a planting. It's hardy across USDA zones 6 through 9 and shrugs off deer. Its early summer flowers are a modest draw for honeybees.
Nandina — the short answer
Nandina: grown in zones 6–9, shade, pH 4.5–6.
- USDA zones
- 6–9
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
- Soil pH
- 4.5–6
- USDA PLANTS
- Sun
- Shade
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Nandina on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether nandina actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score nandina against your land's real conditions.
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What Nandina is
Nandina grows as a perennial and reaches around eight feet at maturity. It blooms white in early summer. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Nandina
Nandina grows in USDA zones 6 through 9. Nandina does best in shade — at least 2 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 4.5 to 6. It needs a growing season of at least 165 frost-free days and about 200 hours of winter chill, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
6-9
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
4.5 - 6
USDA PLANTS
Sun
Shade
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
Data pending
Growable Ground plant catalog
Mature Height
8 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Chill Hours
200+
Winter hours below ~45°F it needs to fruit — too-mild winters can leave it bloom-shy.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
165+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant nandina in shade with at least 2 hours of direct sun.
Match the soil
Nandina prefers pH 4.5 to 6 (USDA PLANTS). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. Match watering to the plant's drainage preference and your local rainfall.
Keep it in good form
Prune nandina to shape as it grows; the reward is its foliage and structure, not a harvest, so steady upkeep is the whole job.
Where Nandina thrives
Nandina is hardy across USDA zones 6 through 9. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 6–9 spans average winter lows from -10°F to 30°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 14 outright and splits 34 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 6–9·Where Nandina growsOpen map →
This map is derived from the USDA ARS / PRISM Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) and is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Where Nandina stands, state by state
Nandina is rated for zones 6–9 — a cold floor USDA puts at -10 to 0°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 14 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 34 more, and 3 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
Fully inside zones 6–9
14 states
- Arkansas · zones 6b-8b
- Connecticut · zones 6a-7b
- Kentucky · zones 6a-7b
3 of 14 shown
The line runs through
34 states
3 of 34 shown
Nandina’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
Outside zones 6–9
3 states
- Minnesota · zones 3a-5a
- North Dakota · zones 3b-4b
- South Dakota · zones 4a-5b
Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant often works in a container that comes under cover. Each link is that state’s own growing hub.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Nandina
Growing guides for nandina
In rotation planning, nandina counts as a Other — beds recover best when other crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)
Related plants in shrub
Good to know
One caution for pet owners — nandina is toxic to dogs and cats (moderate severity). Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: ASPCA.)
Nandina offers low value to bees and other pollinators.
Your land is one point inside Nandina's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Nandina will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether nandina actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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How we know this about Nandina
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•USDA PHZM•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Nandina in my zone?
Nandina grows in USDA hardiness zones 6 through 9 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Nandina?
Time nandina to your own season rather than the calendar, leaving enough of the season for its 165-day frost-free need. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Nandina need?
Nandina is shade-tolerant — it gets by on as little as 2 hours of direct sun, so it earns a place most vegetables can't use. A north-facing strip or the ground under a leafy canopy is right where it belongs. A Growable Ground report shows which corners of your land stay shaded through the day, turning those dim spots into planting spots.
What soil does Nandina need?
Nandina prefers soil pH 4.5 to 6 (USDA PLANTS). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Nandina attract pollinators?
Yes — nandina's flowers are a modest nectar source for honeybees.
Is Nandina safe for pets?
Nandina is toxic to pets (dogs,cats) with moderate severity. Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: ASPCA.)
Keep exploring Nandina
Nandina state by state
Every state nandina's zone reaches — 29 link straight to that state's nandina growing page; the rest open the state's full growing guide.