Tales from the Help Desk, Poisonous Red Berries

Q. I have heard that Nandina is poisonous to birds. My community has planted many Nandina plants. Should we remove these plants to protect birds? 

A. It is true that Nandina (Nandina domestica) berries contain cyanide and are, therefore, highly toxic to birds and other animals. However, the only well documented case of birds dying from ingesting Nandina berries occurred in April 2009 when dozens of Cedar Waxwings were found dead in Thomas County, Georgia. The University of Georgia, College of Veterinary Medicine autopsied some of the dead birds and found they had consumed large quantities of Nandina berries (drupes). Sudden death from eating Nandina berries can occur within a very short time after eating them.  If the dead animals aren't examined, the cause may never be known.  Nandina berries are also toxic to pets, humans, and small wild mammals.

Cedar Waxwings are known for their voracious feeding behavior.  Homeowners may plant Nandina expecting it to attract a large variety of birds in the winter. In general, birds do not like these berries and may only eat a few when no other food source is available.  The USDA considers Nandina a noxious, invasive weed native in parts of Asia.  Those poisonous berries are very likely to germinate and spread the plant around, crowding out desirable native shrubs that support wildlife.

There are two easy solutions if you are concerned about the toxicity of Nandina berries. If you already have the plant, just cut off the flowers after they bloom and before they produce berries.berries. Even better, if you would like to plant Nandina, select sterile varieties that don't produce berries.
In addition, sterile varieties do not produce water sprouts, which are a real problem with non-sterile varieties of Nandina domestica. 

Nandina domestica reproduces by both seeds and sending up shoots from its roots. Once established, it can be quite difficult to eradicate as new plants continue to appear from root fragments after the main plant has been removed. The Virginia list of invasive plants does not currently include Nandina. However, in an internet article dated March 4, 2021, by Sarah Coffey, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond refers to the plant as a “poisonous, invasive shrub” and urges people to avoid planting them. As discussed above, use of a sterile variety avoids the potential for the plant to become invasive.

More information from Audubon.org