I think I heard once that nandinas come in male and female plants. If so, then of course the males would have no berries. I don't know that it's true, most plants do not have separate male and female plants, but I have also noticed that some nandinas don't have berries.

Do the berryless ones flower? If they don't flower then they may not be getting enough sun.

Have you been pruning them, and if so, when? And what parts get removed?

M.D. Vaden of Oregon

Nandinas bear perfect flowers, so theoretically any plant can produce berries. However, some cultivars are more likely to flower (therefore berry) more readily than others and some need significant age/establishment before they will produce either flowers or berries. Avoiding pruning, over fertilizing and providing sufficient sunlight should help. IME, 'San Gabriel' (syn. 'Filimentosa'), 'Sienna Sunrise', 'Firepower' and 'Harbor Dwarf' tend to be very slow to bloom, if at all, and 'Moyers Red' as well as the straight species seem to be the most inclined to bloom very freely.

They were here when I moved here, so I don't know what kind they are. The ones with berries are 4-5 feet tall and very sparse; you can see through them - very attractive. It does concern me, though, that I don't find new growth at the base. The others are only about 3 feet tall and wood is not as thick - probably younger. I did prune them - took out some oldest stems at the base. They get flowers every year, but fewer than the other group. I'll look for 'Moyers Red' for new ones, and will put them in full sun. Like this plant - especially in winter. Thanks for all your comments!

Lack of bloom on the dwarf or dwarfish ones probably has something to do with with their growth being so aberrant. Unfortunately, the normal tall ones (including 'Moyer's Red') are often apt to have the tallest stems fall over. Intermediate forms such as 'Compacta' may be the best for many situations.

Can I jump in and ask why mine doesn't get red? They are usually a sickly yellow colour and I wonder if it is that there is too much bark mulch in the bed without adding enough fertilizer. I do have berries though.

Poor dry soil under conifers will do that, you may be right. Nitrogen deficiency is common on gardened soils in this region, leaching from summer irrigation might be part of the problem as well as disrupting the natural nutrient cycle that was going on before a property is cleared and developed. Otherwise, not all heavenly bamboos turn red anyway. Increasing light exposure might help with that last bit.