Nandina berries disappear throughout growing season.

Currently, I have only one bunch of bright red berries on one of six nandinas. Bunches of berries developed on all the bushes but over the fall season, all but one "disappeared". I found only a very few berries lying on the ground under the bushes. The most likely cause that occurs to me is birds eating the berries; however, I never see this happening. The bushes are near our front door. Although I don't see other nandinas on my short street; I do see them with full bunches of berries in our neighborhood. In the middle of the hardscaped city, we are a leafy green oasis. Our streets are lined with mature oak trees and lots of shrubbery.

In desparation, I have tied bright shiny holographic ribbon in several places on each nandina in hopes of repeling birds. This effort is too late however because I have only one bunch of berries left to defend. Any suggestions as to other possible causes and solutions?

And what do you think of my attempt at a solution?

Berries are made to be eaten - trying to stop it is never going to work!

Resin

Resin, thank you for your response. Due to ice, snow and winter winds (and birds) in February, I don't expect to see bunches of berries hanging from nandinas. But I remember that during the fall, I have seen bushes beautifully bedecked with berries while mine quickly became bare. Based on my experience living other places, I concluded nandina berries were peculiarly unpopular with wildlife. I miss not having berries on my nandina.

Are all berries meant to be gobbled up? I'm thinking of pyracanthas. Their bright orange berries seem to last a while.

Thanks for any other opinions or conjectures on this subject.

All the berries are meant to be eaten by something. Sometimes, that something isn't around to do the eating - and berries last longer, to humans' delight.

Other times, the somethings come on full force and strip berries soon after ripening. Humans don't care for that as much, but tough beans - nature goes on its merry way despite our best efforts to confound.

My solution: outplant them all! The more fruiting plants in the landscape, the longer any one individual plant can continue to shine. You will inevitably attract more of the somethings that eat them, but so what? That's additional entertainment.

Yep, we like our dinner!

As do we!

i agree vv - unless the eater is the four legged variety

I recently was reading articles about planting shrubs to attract birds and found an interesting and sad one about Nandina being ingested in toxic quantities by Cedar Waxwings. Here is a summery of the article.

Well, after reading the previously mentioned article in full and seeing the accompanying photos, I have the urge to pick off all my nandina berries this summer before they can poison any cedar waxwings that may come to my yard. What a story! Nature certainly does not protect all its inhabitants. I wonder if there are other birds that would be poisoned in this way, perhaps not in China or Japan where the nandina is a native plant.

I didn't mean to alarm you. The study was done in Ga....perhaps the more northern CW don't go so nuts over consuming them in toxic quantities. I just happened to have come across this just before reading your post and found it interesting. I

am going to see if there are other berries that are toxic in quantity for birds. We have planted most of our property with our feathered friends in mind but I don't have any Nandina and think I should consider it. I am looking at Nandina domestica 'Firepower. Patti

Thank you all for your responses to what was a simple question. I look forward to this new growing season with its quirks and rewards as we all do in February.