Leaf
David J. Stang, Wikimedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Skimmia
Skimmia japonica Thunb.
Also known as: Japanese skimmia
Family: Rutaceae
0.5 to 1.5 m tall
Open woodland, shady borders, moist soils
Flowering: March – April
Part shade
Shade
Hardy to -15°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
A male plant and a female plant are needed close together to obtain the decorative red berries.
🍃 Leaves
Evergreen, elliptic, glossy dark green, clustered at the ends of the twigs
🌸 Flowers
Small cream-white flowers in panicles, very fragrant
🍎 Fruits
Large decorative red berries in winter (on female plants)
🪵 Bark
Green then light brown twigs, compact rounded habit
🗺️ Distribution
Japan, China; widely grown in France as an ornamental shrub, not wild.
🐝 Value for pollinators
Fragrant winter-to-spring flowering, an early source of nectar for bees; dioecious species needing a male plant and a female plant to set fruit.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Planted in shady borders or pots for its evergreen foliage and decorative red berries in winter.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
Fruits (red berries) slightly toxic if eaten, causing digestive upset.
🌱 Known cultivars
Rubella
Very popular male cultivar: large decorative red flower buds all winter, opening into small fragrant white flowers in spring; it produces no berries (a female plant nearby is needed for that).
🌿 Other Rutaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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