Side by side
Sacred bamboo or Oregon grape? How to tell them apart
Nandina domestica · Berberis aquifolium
How to tell them apart – sacred bamboo: evergreen shrub with cane-like stems, finely divided leaves that turn red, and clusters of red berries; Oregon grape: once-pinnate, spiny leaves and yellow flowers.
How do you recognise them?
- Sacred bamboo
- Evergreen shrub with cane-like stems, finely divided leaves that turn red, and clusters of red berries.
- Oregon grape
- Evergreen shrub with pinnate, holly-like spiny leaves and yellow flower clusters in spring.
- Compared with sacred bamboo: once-pinnate, spiny leaves and yellow flowers.
| Sacred bamboo | Oregon grape | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, up to 50 cm long, two to three times pinnate with narrow, pointed, untoothed leaflets (3–10 cm); red when young, often red to purple in winter. | Alternate, pinnate with 5–9 glossy, spiny-toothed leaflets; often reddish in winter. |
| Flowering | Large clusters of small white flowers with yellow stamens, in June–July (June–July). | Upright clusters of fragrant yellow flowers in March–May (March–May). |
| Fruit | Clusters of glossy red berries in autumn and winter; poisonous. | Bluish-black berries with a waxy bloom, edible but sour. |
| Bark | Upright, sparsely branched, cane-like stems. | Greyish-brown; the wood is yellow. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 1–2 m | Shrub, 1–2 m |
| Site | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, normal | Sun to shade, any garden soil, normal |
| Native to Belgium | No, planted | No, naturalised |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | – | Yes, for bees and birds |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Yes, take care with children and pets | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | March–April | May–June |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Sacred bamboo is poisonous to people and pets: take care with children and animals.
Read on
- Plant profile: Sacred bamboo
- Plant profile: Oregon grape
- Sacred bamboo: when and how to prune
- Oregon grape: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
Identify by feature
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.