San Gabriel, sold under the cultivar name Filamentosa, is one of the most texturally distinctive nandinas in cultivation. The foliage is finely divided and almost filamentous in character, giving it a delicate, fern-like quality that reads nothing like the typical compound leaves of its relatives. At a maximum of 2 feet tall and 2 feet wide, it is genuinely compact, and its slow growth rate means a plant placed correctly will stay placed correctly for years without aggressive intervention.

The color transitions are exceptional: apricot-toned new growth in spring deepens to bright green and then blue-green through summer, before shifting to brilliant crimson in autumn. Orange-red berries form after the spring flowers and persist into winter, adding another layer of seasonal interest. The plant tolerates average to dry soils with good drainage and, like all heavenly bamboo, is deer resistant. The berries do carry the cyanide compounds common to the species and can be toxic to birds and pets in large quantities, a consideration worth noting despite this cultivar's ornamental appeal.