Skimmia

20 years ago

We'd had one or two Skimmias in our garden for years, but they didn't thrive, and had hardly any berries. When I bought a male Skimmia to see if we'd get more berries, it died.

Last year I dug all three of them up, bought a new male Skimmia, and planted them all together, with lots of compost and bonemeal, in a place where they got shade all morning, but sun for a lot of the afternoon.

It seems to be working. But the odd thing is that even though it's October, the male Skimmia has flower buds opening. (You can just see some of them at the right edge of the picture). Maybe it's because we're having an odd sort of year. Even one of our rhododendrons that usually flowers in spring is blooming.

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Comments (5)

tinahere
20 years ago
sorry to ask what is probably a silly question to you guys, but what is a skimmia and what do you use the berries for??????????? Tina
shrubs_n_bulbs
20 years ago
Tina, you use the berries for looking at. They are mildly toxic. These little shrubs are sold all over in winter (at least in the northern hemisphere!) often to poor saps who have no idea that you need a male for berries.

Herb, many spring-flowering shrubs do this. I guess Skimmia is the same. Nice bonus anyway, I think the flowers are much under-rated, like a big multi-coloured not-quite-so-fragrant Daphne.

Here is a link that might be useful: Skimmia flower
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Herb
Original Author
20 years ago
Shrubs -

You hit the nail on the head - it has these brilliant red berries. (And its a nice, tidy evergreen too.) I've never noticed any fragrance though - but I think I must have a defective sense of smell because I never detect any on Lonicera fragrantissima either, and not much on Daphne odora.

Herb
tinahere
20 years ago
oh ok, thanks for that.......it's amazing the different plants you guys have compared to us....but I guess that works both ways!! Tina
Herb
Original Author
20 years ago
It certainly works to our benefit - our next door neighbour has just planted a Eucalyptus. Some of them grow really fast here.

H.