Nandina berries – Colors

Q: I have a nandina that has yellow berries. It is in a row of several that are red-berried. Do nandina berries come in other colors?

A: Your nandina is a “sport” of the more common red-berried form of this common shrub. Sports are not uncommon. There are dwarf nandinas, fern-leaf nandinas and others. Nurseryfolks selected a white-berried sport many years ago and named it Nandina domestica ‘Alba’. I’ve heard that there is a cultivar named ‘Yellow Berries’ but I’ve never seen it. If yours has very bright yellow fruit it might be of interest to a plant breeder.