Tian Zhu Zi

Nandina domestica is an evergreen, suckering, multi-stemmed shrub of the Berberidaceae, native to eastern Asia (China, Japan) and widely planted as an ornamental. It grows 1.5–2.5 m tall, the cane-like, unbranched stems bearing the foliage near the top in a bamboo-like silhouette — hence the common names 'heavenly bamboo' and 'sacred bamboo'. The large, alternate, two- or three-times pinnately compound leaves carry numerous lanceolate, leathery leaflets that flush pink-bronze in spring, mature dark green in summer, and turn deep red in autumn and winter. Large terminal panicles of small white six-tepalled flowers appear in early summer, succeeded by long-persistent clusters of bright red, glossy, two-seeded berries about 6–8 mm across. The dried mature berries are the medicinal organ. Raw berries contain cyanogenic glycosides and are toxic; processing is required.