Japanese Skimmias for shade and Winter Colour

Male skimmia flowers bearing pollen.

For colourful berries, you need male and female plants. The berries develop on the females.

A skimmia covered in flowers.

This broadleaf evergreen shrub is suitable for shade to part shade locations.

The female flowers contain pistils and no pollen laden stamens.

Common Name: Skimmia
Botanical Name: Skimmia japonica
Form:   round and spreading
Family: Rutaceae
Genus: Skimmia
Species:  japonica
Plant Type: broadleaf evergreen shrub  
Mature Size: 2 to 4 ft tall and 3 to 5 foot wide
Growth: moderate
Origin: SE Asia, Japan, China
Hardiness Zone: 7
Foliage:  Dark green above and paler yellowish green on reverse, leathery, 6 to 13 cm long, simple, alternate, elliptic, aromatic when bruised. Male and female plants (dioecious), red berries produced on female plants. Males larger and more fragrant. 
Stems: smooth, brown
Flowers: clusters of small, fragrant, white coloured flowers held in panicles in February to April
Fruit: red, sometimes white berries (drupe) in late fall and winter, borne on female plants, need 1 male for every 6 females to produce berries, (which are poisonous) 
Exposure: part shade to shade, too much light bleaches foliages
Soil: moist, acid, soils with plenty of organic matter, organic mulch
Uses: foundation plantings, massing, mixed border, winter garden, fragrant garden, hedge row, small garden, woodland margin
Propagation: softwood cuttings mid spring, layering
Pruning: To keep plant compact, prune after flowering by 1/3rd.
​Problems: The entire plant is poisonous, especially the berries. Suffers from spider mite if conditions are too dry. 
Cultivars: Reeves skimmia, Skimmia reevesiana, is shorter with dull red fruit on self-fertile plants, as male and female flowers are on the same plant.  
Comments: Resistant to diseases and insects, resistant to deer and rabbits (unless they are really hungry). Skimmia a well-behaved plants that are perfect for around the foundation of the house and where there is shade. No matter what time of year it is, skimmias always look good. ​​

Rubella Japanese Skimmia is a compact cultivar growing 3'x3'.

Skimmias are perfect for shady gardens and look great all year.