Nandina
/nænˈdiːnə/noun
An evergreen Asian shrub, especially Nandina domestica, commonly called heavenly bamboo.
Did you know?Nandina comes from Japanese nanten, a plant name associated with the auspicious phrase nan o tenjiru, meaning “turning difficulties into good fortune.”
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese
Old Chinese
南天
“Southern heaven or southern sky”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
南天
“The southern heavens; the source of the Japanese plant name”
Japanese
Japanese
nanten
“Sacred or auspicious bamboo-like shrub; literally “southern heaven””
18th Century
New Latin
Nandina
“Botanical genus name formed from the Japanese name nanten”
Modern English
English
nandina
“An evergreen ornamental shrub, especially heavenly bamboo”