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A garden with a dynamic plant combination is a beauty any day.
To determine what to plant with lemon lime nandina, you have to, first of all, know the kind of effect the plant has as a stand-alone and the kind of effect you hope to achieve when pairing them with other plants.
On its own, the lemon plant can be quite dramatic. It has chartreuse-colored foliage whose sparkles can be noticed from afar.
Now, when thinking of what to plant with lemon-lime nandina, do we go for plants that add to its pop and radiance or try to suppress it a bit?
Perhaps we can incorporate a bit of both?
We will find out as we discuss the various lemon lime nandina companion plants!
What To Plant With Lemon Lime Nandina
The lemon-lime nandina is one specie in the flowering plant of the Berberidaceae family native to the Asian country of Japan, India, and China.
The mounded shrub has very attractive, glossy leaves and is commonly used as an ornamental plant.
Are you thinking of the best companion plant to grow alongside them? A quick hint here; companion plants can either be complementary or contrasting; it all depends on the outlook you hope to achieve.
Check out these awesome recommendations of ours, read through them, and settle for those that best suit the plan you have in mind.
1. Combining With Two Other Nandina Cultivars
Are you considering using your lemon-lime nandina as a border or foundational plant? A brilliant idea will be to grow at least two other nandina cultivars that will serve as mid-size plants.
There are several cultivars for you to select from; a suggestion will be to go for either pink or red-leafed ‘Blush Pink’ or, better still, the ‘Fire Power.’
Imagine these pink, green, and red-leaved plants standing pretty alongside the rich, bright yellowish green to lime green lemon nandina plant.
Its effect is always a bright wonder that would be noticed from afar.
Do not be afraid to experiment with different cultivars of nandinas that are known for their very distinct colors and even those with varying height sizes for a bit of contrast.
2. Pair Lemon Lime Nandina With Marigold ‘Tagetes Spp’ Plant
As we stated earlier, your intention has to be put into consideration as you go about looking for a companion plant for your lemon-lime nandina.
Now, if the plan is to achieve a sunny summer garden, growing marigolds alongside these shrubs are your best bet to get your garden to look extra glorious come summer. Marigolds have no problem thriving in USDA Growing Zones 2 – 11.
3. Pair Lemon Lime Nandina With Pansies ‘Viola Tricolor’
Just as Marigold, when paired with the lemon-lime nandina shrub, will add a pop of color to your space during summer, the same way pansies add spark too, but in winter.
With pansies, you do not necessarily have to fuss over what color to grow, as any color will complement the lemon-lime nandina just fine.
Pansies thrive best in USDA zones 4 – 8.
See Also: Best Vinca Companion Plants
4. Pair Lemon Lime Nandina With Daffodils ‘narcissus Pseudonarcissus.’
Are you preparing for spring? Grow some daffodils alongside your lemon-lime and nandina shrub. They offer a burst of different colors to your garden for up to four to six weeks during spring.
Daffodils are hardy in USDA growing zones 3 – 8.
Another great option is incorporating other rhizomes or bulbs in fairly large clumps right in the middle of the shrub. They offer beautiful colors in your space in early spring and summer.
Still in the early spring straight into summer glow, growing the Iris (Iris spp.) is yet another option. Depending on your variant, you will have no trouble growing them in USDA growing zones 3 – 9.
5. Pair Lemon-Lime Nandina With Perennial Or Annual Flowers
Pairing lemon lime nandina plants with heat-loving perennial or annual flowers is a genius move anytime, any day.
They pair beautifully well and complement the bright-colored nandina shrub adding a unique texture and outlook to your landscape all seasons long.
Examples of perennial or annual plants to go for are hellebores, camellias, or loropetalum. Ornamental grasses, too, are another great option to consider.
6. Pair The Lemon Lime Nandina With Taller Evergreen Plants
This is a combination that only the artistically inclined will be able to relate with.
Picture an image of your lemon-lime used as a foreground emitting bright, beautiful colors from beneath taller evergreen plants.
The result is sure to be captivating.
Examples of tall evergreen plants are ligustrum, hollies, clever, etc.
7. Pair Lemon Lime Nandina With Beautiful Summer Flowers
Grow the lemon-lime nandina as a background for pockets of beautiful summer flowers. This is quite an easy combination idea as we have loads of beautiful summer flowers.
However, if you are having issues going for one, flowers like petunias, angelonias, and begonias are always a safe and brilliant choice.
8. Incorporate Lemon Lime Nandina In Mixed Containers
The lemon-lime nandina has no problem thriving in containers. They are quite hardy and not exactly picky about soil. In no time, they will become well-established and thrive for all seasons.
A mixed plant container featuring some perennial and annual plants, ornamental grasses too, and, of course, the lemon-lime nandina will create a spectacular sight in your space.
See Also: Orange Rocket Barberry Companion Plants
Things To Note When Pairing Lemon Lime Nandina With Other Plants
When thinking of what to plant alongside the lemon-lime nandina, your choices can swing either to contrasting plants or plants that best amplify their brightness.
Both choices can work; however, the keyword that would see that happening is ‘balance.’
When pairing with a contrasting color, it is best to look for plants that are not overly contrasting as they may seem tense and too serious, whereas a little contrast would scream boring too.
Pairing plants with highly contrasting components will cause too much strain on the eyes. This is because there are so many differences for the eyes to take all in and process.
If you want a garden that goes easy on the eyes, the key is to find the right balance for a brilliant pairing design. Try searching for partner plants that have just one or two differences in a trait but share other things in common.
A perfect example will be Mahonia ‘Soft caress’ and the lemon-lime nandina. They differ in foliage texture and color but share similarities in size and growth pattern.
We will now proceed to show you how the differences and similarities between both shrubs work together to create a lush garden.
Color
Mahonia ‘Soft caress’ and lemon-lime nandina have different foliage colors.
On the color wheel, sitting close to the yellow-green color of lemon-lime nandina is the ‘Soft caress’ Mahonia with its dark green color.
Quite a contrast, with the mixture of warm and cool tones deepening the difference even further. The beauty, however, can be seen in the sharpness of both colors, with the Mahonia beaming a dark shade while the lemon-lime nandina supplies brightness.
Texture
Both plants have foliage textures that can be defined as fine, but a visible difference can be noticed in leaf shape and size.
Lemon lime nandina has oblong-like leaves, while the ‘Soft caress’ Mahonia has long and slim ones.
The similarity they share in foliage texture gives the garden an exquisite facelift. At the same time, the difference in the shape and size of their leaves provides just about the right amount of contrast to keep the garden from looking monotonous.
A combination of both evergreen shrubs is sure to transform your space in a very unique and artistic way.
See Also: Eucalyptus Companion Plants
Conclusion: Lemon Lime Nandina Companion Plants
Lemon lime nandinas are known to be a show-stopping plant. They are also known as the Heavenly bamboo and are part of the Southern Living Plants Collection. They are compact evergreen shrub that spots a lime green color when young but later transitions into a light green in summer.
What can you plant with the lemon-lime nandina?
The options vary and largely depend on your big idea and plan. Nevertheless, we have outlined different plants that will cater to several reasons you might have in mind.
Furthermore, the focus should not just begin and end with the best plants to complement them; experiment around the plant arrangement. Consider planting in curves as opposed to a boring straight line. It leaves people wondering what lies therein.
Plant the lemon-lime nandina in groups of odd numbers, three, five, or seven, just as you wish. Pairing your lemon-lime nandina with other plants is somewhat like a call to experiment and freely explore. The big question is are you ready for the challenge?