About the Japanese Skimmia

Description

• A mounding shrub that grows 3 to 5 feet tall, Japanese skimmia forms a dome or rounded shape with dense, evergreen foliage. The thick, glossy leaves are bright green at first, maturing to dark green. In spring, the shrub produces clusters of red buds that open into cream-colored flowers. The flower clusters stand above the foliage, and both the flowers and foliage are lightly fragrant. Most Japanese skimmias are dioecious, which means female plants produce berries when a male grows nearby. One male plant can pollinate up to six females. The berries stay on the shrub all winter.

Requirements

• Japanese skimmia needs partial or full shade. The best condition is one in which the shrub gets morning sun, changing to shifting or dappled shade at midday. Strong afternoon sun stunts the shrub's growth and bleaches out the foliage. It needs a moist soil with a slightly acid pH and plenty of organic matter. Avoid planting skimmias near a concrete foundation where the pH is probably too high. Japanese skimmia is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 7 and 8.

Notable Cultivar and Subspecies

• The subspecies reevesiana is a dwarf shrub that grows 2 feet high. It is well-suited to containers and for use as a ground cover in woodland gardens. Reevesiana produces fall and winter berries without the need for a pollinator. Rubella is a cultivar noted for dark red to purple buds in winter that last several weeks because the flowers don't open until late spring. This cultivar features yellow and green variegated foliage.

Cautions

• Japanese skimmia is poisonous and should not be planted in areas where children play. The fall and winter berries contain the most toxin, but all parts of the plant are toxic. Small quantities of plant material cause stomach upset, and large quantities can lead to cardiac arrest and abortion.