It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I ventured into the frozen tundra of my yard early yesterday and spotted this burst of color. Our first snow amounted to only about a quarter of an inch, but still it still made for a beautiful scene to wake up to. Officially named nandina domestica, this plant is more commonly known as heavenly bamboo -- although it's not at all related to bamboo. It's popular with homeowners for its hardiness and its color -- featuring tiny white blooms in the spring, reddish-green leaves in the summer and bright red berries in the fall. My nandina bushes grow fine in the shade, but don't produce many berries. A bush in full or part sun will be covered with red berries through the winter. The plant is considered invasive because of its propensity to spread and take over a landscape.