Skimmia Japonica is so popular with many hobby gardeners because it is a great eye-catcher in the winter garden with its bright red fruits. But the Skimmie needs a special location for this. You can find out what it looks like here.

In a nutshell

  • Place with light or semi-shade ideal for the evergreen plant
  • Avoid windy place, easy to break off leaves
  • Keep the soil in the bed similar to rhododendron soil
  • Shrub can also be cultivated in tubs
  • Winter ornamental plant that does not require any special precautions for overwintering

soil condition

Skimmia japonica belongs to the rhododendron family, which have similar soil requirements as, for example, a rhododendron:

  • acidic pH is ideal
  • Favorable condition of bog
  • recreates the forest floor
  • Soil should also be humus and loose
  • permeable
  • Avoid waterlogging from heavy soil
  • Rhododendron soil is very suitable
  • alternatively fold in peat, compost and granite flour

Tip: The Skimmie is absolutely frost hardy, so it does not need winter protection. Only the soil around the plant should be mulched, which not only protects against frost, but also against drying out in winter.

Ideal location

Like all winter ornamental plants, the Skimmie has very special requirements when it comes to the ideal location. For this, the origin must be known in order to offer the ideal place. The plants originally come from the mountain forests in Japan. There is plenty of shade here from the tall trees. The cold-loving plants therefore do not tolerate a lot of heat and blazing midday sun in summer:

  • slightly dark location
  • partial shade to full shade
  • protected
  • still airy and free
  • Front yard ideal
  • when shadows fall from the house
  • under tall trees
  • also in the vicinity of coniferous trees
  • rather avoid windy locations
  • leaf damage could follow

tub cultivation

Cultivation in a bucket is quite possible if there is a possibility that it can be placed outside all year round. Cultivation in the apartment is not recommended:

  • too warm in winter
  • no possibility for pollination by bees
  • no flowering
  • no fruit
  • also conservatory unsuitable
If the Skimmia is in the wrong place, the slightly poisonous but extremely decorative berries may not form.

Instead, more suitable locations for the Skimmie are:

  • in a bucket on the terrace or balcony
  • east or west balcony
  • slightly shaded terrace
  • in the covered, shady entrance area

relocation

If you didn't pay attention to the ideal place when planting the shrub, then it is not a problem to move the Skimmia to another place in the garden in the first few years. However, various things must be observed here so that the evergreen plant is not damaged:

  • note age
  • at the latest by the age of four to five years
  • Size is not important here
  • transplant during hibernation
  • choose a frost-free day
  • Late autumn or late winter
  • watch out for roots when digging up
  • Cut back the plant vigorously before transplanting
  • so energy can be directed to new roots

frequently asked Questions

What happens if I plant my Skimmia in full sun?

If it is too sunny at the location, especially in summer, the plant does not like the constant irradiation. Because in its native Asia it grows mainly in the undergrowth. In strong sunlight, the evergreen leaves can burn and in the worst case, the flowering does not occur because the plant is simply too hot. In this case, the bright fruits on the bush are missing even in winter.

Can I still transplant an older shrub?

If the growing space of a Skimmia that is more than five years old is no longer ideal, for example because a previously shady object has fallen away, an older shrub can still be transplanted. However, he must be prepared for this. In autumn, the plant is cut back by a third. The old roots are cut off around the root ball so that the plant can form new ones. Only in the next hibernation, the plant is then implemented.

Why isn't my Skimmia flowering despite the right location and why isn't it producing any fruit?

Even if the location has the best conditions for the tree, the shrub needs other representatives of its kind in the immediate vicinity. Because only when male and female shrubs are cultivated together can the picturesque winter decorations in the form of the bright red fruits be formed.

What are the peculiarities of the Skimmie?

The skimmia is an evergreen shrub that produces beautiful flowers. It belongs to the rue family (Rutaceae). The bright red berries bring a splash of color to an otherwise dreary wintry garden, especially in the dreary winter season. Therefore, the shrub belongs to the winter ornamental plants. Its pink flowers bloom in late summer, the berries hang from autumn to spring on the slow-growing shrub, which can reach a height of 1.5 meters.

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Garden plants