Nandina domestica 'Gulfstream' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Heavenly Bamboo 'Gulfstream'

Nandina domestica 'Gulfstream'

£30.29 £34.99 SAVE 13%
Hardy in the UKSun-lovingShade-tolerantEvergreen
Pot size
23cm / 5L £30.29

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Description

Nandina domestica 'Gulfstream' is a superb, compact evergreen shrub prized for foliage that changes colour through every season. A dwarf selection of Nandina domestica, the plant commonly known as heavenly bamboo, 'Gulfstream' brings the same delicate, bamboo-like elegance in a far neater, more garden-friendly package, making it one of the most versatile small shrubs you can grow.

Its appeal lies in the foliage. The fine, intricately divided leaves unfurl a glowing red in spring, settle to cool blue-green through summer, then ignite into brilliant shades of orange, crimson and scarlet as the temperatures drop in autumn and winter. Unlike the species, this heavenly bamboo holds a tight, rounded, mound-forming habit and rarely exceeds around a metre, so it never outgrows its welcome. Small sprays of creamy-white flowers appear in early summer, a quiet bonus to the year-round leaf display.

How and where to grow

'Gulfstream' is wonderfully adaptable. It thrives in full sun or partial shade, though the strongest red and orange tints develop where it catches several hours of sun each day. It is happy in almost any reasonable soil, chalk, clay, loam or sand, at any pH, as long as the ground is moist but well-drained. Choose a sheltered position to protect the foliage from cold, drying winds and to keep the winter colour looking its best.

  • Mature size: around 0.6 to 1 m tall and wide
  • Hardiness: RHS H5, hardy to roughly -15C across most of the UK
  • Position: full sun to partial shade, sheltered
  • Evergreen, with multi-season foliage colour

Being fully garden-hardy in Britain, this Nandina domestica selection needs no winter protection in all but the coldest gardens, and its compact form makes it equally at home in a mixed border, low hedge, gravel garden or a smart patio container. Water regularly through the first couple of seasons to establish, after which it is admirably low-maintenance and largely drought-tolerant.

Every 'Gulfstream' we send out is a strong, well-rooted, nursery-grown plant, chosen to settle in quickly and reward you with its ever-changing colour for many years to come.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Heavenly Bamboo 'Gulfstream'

Plant me in full sun and I will stand a UK winter outdoors.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Heavenly Bamboo 'Gulfstream'

Nandina domestica 'Gulfstream' needs full sun or partial shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is hardy to around −15°C and stands a UK winter outdoors.

Good for

Exotic Borders Shade

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

Hardy Exotic (H5): down to around −15°C. Hardy through a cold UK winter.

Reliably hardy across most of the UK to around -15C (RHS H5), 'Gulfstream' is a tough, fully garden-hardy evergreen that needs no winter protection in all but the very coldest, most exposed gardens. A sheltered position helps the foliage keep its best colour and avoids cold winds scorching the leaves. Read moreShow less

Reliably hardy across most of the UK to around -15C (RHS H5), 'Gulfstream' is a tough, fully garden-hardy evergreen that needs no winter protection in all but the very coldest, most exposed gardens. A sheltered position helps the foliage keep its best colour and avoids cold winds scorching the leaves.

Position

Full sunPartial shadeEast-facingSouth-facingWest-facingSheltered
Grows happily in full sun or partial shade, though the richest red and orange leaf tints develop where it receives several hours of direct sun. A south, west or east-facing spot, ideally sheltered from harsh winds, is ideal. Read moreShow less

Grows happily in full sun or partial shade, though the richest red and orange leaf tints develop where it receives several hours of direct sun. A south, west or east-facing spot, ideally sheltered from harsh winds, is ideal.

Soil

ChalkClayLoamSandMoist but well-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH
Tolerant of most soils including chalk, clay, loam and sand, at any pH, provided drainage is reasonable. It prefers a fertile, moist but well-drained soil and benefits from a spring mulch of compost or leaf mould to retain moisture. Read moreShow less

Tolerant of most soils including chalk, clay, loam and sand, at any pH, provided drainage is reasonable. It prefers a fertile, moist but well-drained soil and benefits from a spring mulch of compost or leaf mould to retain moisture.

Watering

Water regularly through the first one to two growing seasons to settle the roots, keeping the soil moist but never waterlogged. Once established it is fairly drought-tolerant, though plants in pots will need watering through dry spells and warm weather. Read moreShow less

Water regularly through the first one to two growing seasons to settle the roots, keeping the soil moist but never waterlogged. Once established it is fairly drought-tolerant, though plants in pots will need watering through dry spells and warm weather.

Mature size

Height0.6-1 m
Spread0.6-1 m

Reaches full size in 5-10 years

Growth habit

Bushy

Flowering

Jun-Jul

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Evergreen

Pruning

Each spring remove one or two of the oldest stems to the ground to spur fresh growth from the base rather than trimming all over.

Toxicity

Berries and foliage contain cyanogenic compounds and are harmful if eaten; can be toxic to pets and livestock in quantity. 'Gulfstream' rarely sets fruit, so berry risk is low.

Native range

Eastern Asia (China, Japan, India)

Family

Berberidaceae

Also known as

Nandina domestica 'Gulfstream'

Genus

Nandina
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Nandina 'Gulfstream' hardy in the UK?

Yes. It is rated RHS H5 and tolerates roughly -15C, so it is fully garden-hardy across most of Britain and needs no winter protection except in the very coldest, most exposed gardens. A sheltered spot keeps the winter foliage colour at its best.

Is it evergreen or does it lose its leaves?

'Gulfstream' is evergreen, holding its foliage all year. The fine, fern-like leaves emerge bright red, mature to green through summer, then turn vivid orange and red again over autumn and winter, giving colour every month of the year.

How big does Nandina 'Gulfstream' grow?

It is a compact, dwarf form, typically reaching only about 0.6 to 1 m tall with a similar spread over five to ten years. That neat, rounded habit makes it far more manageable than the taller species Nandina domestica.

Can I grow it in a pot?

Yes, its compact size makes it excellent for containers, where its changing foliage adds year-round interest to patios and doorways. Use a loam-based compost, ensure good drainage, water through dry spells and feed in spring with a slow-release fertiliser.

Does it need pruning?

Very little. Simply remove any dead, damaged or awkward stems in spring; to rejuvenate an older plant, cut a few of the oldest canes right back to the base to encourage fresh growth. Its naturally tidy, mounded shape needs no regular trimming.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
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Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

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Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

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Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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Nandina domestica 'Gulfstream'
£30.29 £34.99