Alpha's Compact Heavenly Bamboo
Nandina domestica 'Alpha Compacta'
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Alpha's Compact Heavenly Bamboo - #5 Container is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.
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Plant Sentry™

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Your order is protected by our compliance system that:
- Prevents restricted plants from shipping to your state
- Ensures plants meet your state's agricultural requirements
- Protects gardens from invasive pests and diseases
Delivery and Shipping
Delivery and Shipping
Delivery and Shipping
Fast, Safe Plant Delivery
Ships in 3-4 business days • Tracking provided • Weather protected
Under $50 | $9.99 |
$50 - $99.99 | $14.99 |
$100 - $149.99 | $16.99 |
$150+ | $24.99 |
✓ Zone-specific timing • ✓ Professional packaging • ✓ Health guarantee
Understanding Plant Options
Nature Hills offers plants in two main formats:
- Container Plants: Grown in pots with soil, sized by container volume and plant age
- Bare Root Plants: Dormant plants without soil, sized by height measurements
Container Plant Sizes
Container sizes indicate plant age and growing capacity rather than liquid volume equivalents. Our containers follow industry-standard nursery "trade gallon" specifications, which differ from standard liquid gallon measurements.
Young Plants (6 months to 18 months old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
2" x 2" x 3" | 0.18 - 0.21 dry quarts | 0.20 - 0.23 dry liters |
4" Container | 0.31 - 0.87 dry quarts | 0.35 - 0.96 dry liters |
4.5" Container | 0.65 dry quarts | 0.72 dry liters |
6" Container | 1.4 dry quarts | 1.59 dry liters |
1 Quart | 1 dry quart | 1.1 dry liters |
5.5" Container | 1.89 dry quarts | 2.08 dry liters |
Established Plants (18 months to 2.5 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
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2 Quart | 2 dry quarts | 2.2 dry liters |
#1 Container | 2.26 - 3.73 dry quarts | 2.49 - 4.11 dry liters |
5" x 5" x 12" | 3.5 - 4.3 dry quarts | 3.85 - 4.74 dry liters |
Mature Plants (2-4 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
#2 Container | 1.19 - 1.76 dry gallons | 5.24 - 7.75 dry liters |
#3 Container | 2.15 - 2.76 dry gallons | 8.14 - 12.16 dry liters |
Large Plants (3-5 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
#5 Container | 2.92 - 4.62 dry gallons | 12.86 - 20.35 dry liters |
#6 Container | 5.25 - 6.01 dry gallons | 23.12 - 26.42 dry liters |
#7 Container | 5.98 - 6.53 dry gallons | 26.34 - 28.76 dry liters |
Bare Root Plants
Bare root plants are sold by height from the root system to the top of the plant. Plants may exceed minimum height requirements.
Common Sizes:
- Trees: 1 foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet, 6 feet
- Shrubs & Perennials: 1 foot, 18 inches, 2 feet
Important Notes
Container Volume Specifications
- Trade Gallon Standard: Our containers follow industry-standard "trade gallon" specifications established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z60.1) for nursery stock
- Volume Variations: Actual soil volume may vary due to plant root systems and growing medium settlement
- Age Indicators: Container size primarily indicates plant age and maturity rather than liquid volume equivalents
Growing Conditions
- Plant size can vary based on variety and growing conditions
- Container size helps indicate plant maturity and establishment level
- Larger containers generally mean more established root systems and faster landscape establishment
Seasonal Availability
- Bare root plants are available seasonally when dormant
- Container plants are available throughout the growing season
- Specific varieties may have limited availability in certain sizes
Questions?
For questions about specific plant sizes or availability, please contact our plant experts who can help you choose the right size for your landscape needs.
Plant Highlights
Alpha's Compact Heavenly Bamboo highlights at a glance!
Specifications
Specifications
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Brand
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Botanical Name
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Growing Zones
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Mature Height
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Mature Spread
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Sun ExposureFull Sun, Partial Shade
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Moisture
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Soil
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Growth RateMedium
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Flower Color
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Fall Color
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Pollinator Friendly
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Pruning Time
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Bloom PeriodEarly Spring, Late Spring

Growing Zones 6-9
One of our favorite Nandina is the handsome, formal, rounded shrub called Alpha's Compact Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina domestica 'Alpha Compacta')! It couldn't be easier and gives you beauty in all seasons! This improved cultivar is a sport of Tuscan Flame Nandina, Alpha's Compact is a colorful red-tinged yellow-green, sometimes with multiple colors on the rounded form at one time!
You'll appreciate the lovely pink and green variegated foliage, that becomes red throughout the fall and winter! The pretty off-white spring flower panicles and red fall fruits throughout the season are added bonuses. Use all parts of this shrub's eye-catching foliage as an effective filler in cut flower arrangements. Snip a few of the white blooms, too...or leave them on the shrub to support butterflies and pollinators!
Heavenly Bamboo brings a stylish look to your garden with its fine-textured, compound leaves. Lush stems grow upright without branching, and the multicolored leaves are held at the tips. Trim and tidy, Alpha's Compact Nandina features outstanding fall and winter red foliage color.
Hardy throughout USDA planting zones 6 to 9, Alpha Compact grows 3-4 feet in height and width. Hardy and easy to grow, unfortunately, this easy growth means that in some areas of the country, birds spread the seeds and the Nandina pops up where it shouldn't. Nature Hills Nursery is at the forefront of environmental regulatory compliance with all agricultural laws.
We use Plant Sentry™, an online tool that blocks shipments of plants that can behave invasively in your region. Enter your Zip Code in the Plant Highlights section to find your Hardiness Zone on this page and you'll see if Nature Hills can ship Nandina safely into your area.
Landscape Application:
Showcase these special plants in your foundation plantings, or create cunning low hedges to define your garden design. Because they stay tight and compact, these shrubs make excellent additions to the front of a modern shrub border. Add a long row of them to fire up the look of an Arborvitae privacy screen.
Grow them in the ground, or keep them in a series of oversized exterior containers for year-round color. This plant is truly a designer's secret to add form and fantastic saturated color. Specimens, focal points, and showy groupings of brilliant color, Nandina light up the landscape without the need for loads of work and fuss!
Plant Alpha's Compact en masse for a vivid display that is sure to turn heads! These fetching plants catch the wind and create an ocean effect, rippling over and through the planting. Hard-to-mow hillsides, eroding slopes, and tricky swaths of ground in your yard all become gleaming spectacles! Low maintenance enough for business and commercial sites, the brilliant red color is sure to have everyone noticing your shop!
Rock Gardens and Xeric plantings and ideal locations for these water-wise shrubs! But Compact Heavenly Bamboo looks just as showy in the Cottage Garden, Zen Gardens, vivid foundation plantings, or varied fire-wise defensive plans! The colors and different textures will create a gorgeous view!
- Improved Nandina Cultivar!
- Bright Red in Autumn & Crimson Red Foliage All Winter
- Lacy Broadleaf Evergreen Foliage Looks Like Bamboo Leaves
- Petty Off White Flowers in Spring & Red Berries in Fall
- Unique Upright Formal Form Has Formal, Showy Good Looks
- Versatile Shrub Suits Many Garden Applications
#ProPlantTips for Care:
Enjoy this "workhorse" throughout sunny and partially shaded areas of your landscape. Moderately fast-growing, you'll get results fast without worrying about pollution, drought, heat, and pests throughout USDA planting zones 6 to 9! Plant in well-drained soil locations and provide regular water until they are established. Once settled, Nandina becomes drought-tolerant and very easy to grow!
Add 3-4 inches of arborist mulch over the root system to keep it cool and hold moisture in more consistently. Prune if needed after flowering to shape, but these shrubs are naturally neat and tidy, and shouldn't need much in the way of maintenance!
- Thrives in Full Sun or Partial Shade
- Any Well-Draining Soil Type
- Moderate Moisture Needs - Low Once Established
- Low Maintenance & Long-Lived
- Pest & Disease Resistant
Pump up the appeal of your existing landscaping...or start over fresh with marvelously modern cultivars of old favorites! High-performance Alpha's Compact Heavenly Bamboo looks great year-round. Order this spectacular modern choice from Nature Hills today! Nature Hills has you covered with an extensive online catalog of beautiful, expertly-grown plants!