Skimmia Plants

Shop our range of Skimmia plants, compact evergreen shrubs prized for their glossy foliage, colourful winter flower buds, fragrant spring flowers and, on berrying varieties, bright red autumn and winter fruits.

Skimmias are ideal for shady borders, patio pots and smaller gardens, providing reliable year-round colour with very little maintenance. Choose from popular varieties including red-budded Skimmia ‘Rubella’, compact dwarf cultivars and female or self-fertile varieties grown for their colourful berries.

Browse our Skimmia collection to find the right variety for your garden, whether you're looking for winter colour, fragrant flowers, evergreen structure or berries.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Why Choose Skimmia? +

Evergreen colour all year round

Attractive autumn and winter flower buds

Fragrant flowers in spring

Excellent choice for partial shade and shade

Many varieties produce colourful winter berries

Compact varieties are ideal for pots and smaller gardens

Easy to grow and generally low maintenance

Flowers provide valuable early-season interest for pollinating insects

Male, Female or Self-Fertile Skimmia? +

Choosing the right Skimmia is especially important if you would like a display of berries.

Male Skimmias

Male varieties such as Skimmia japonica ‘Rubella’ are grown for their colourful flower buds, evergreen foliage and fragrant spring flowers. They do not produce berries, but they can pollinate compatible female Skimmias growing nearby.

Male varieties are a great choice if winter buds and flowers are your main priority.

Female Skimmias

Female varieties can produce beautiful clusters of red berries after flowering, but they usually need a male Skimmia flowering nearby for successful pollination.

Planting a male and female variety together is a great way to enjoy both colourful winter buds and berries.

Self-Fertile Skimmias

If you only have room for one plant, look for a self-fertile Skimmia such as Skimmia japonica subsp. reevesiana or varieties such as ‘Temptation’.

Self-fertile varieties can produce berries without needing a separate male plant, making them particularly useful for containers and smaller gardens.

Where to Plant Skimmias +

Skimmias perform best in partial shade or full shade and are particularly useful in areas where many flowering shrubs struggle.

They work beautifully:

  • Under the light canopy of trees and larger shrubs
  • In shady borders
  • Along north- or east-facing walls
  • In woodland-style planting
  • In patio pots and containers
  • Near entrances and paths where their spring fragrance can be enjoyed
When Do Skimmias Flower? +

Most Skimmias develop their flower buds during autumn and winter, providing colour during a time when relatively few shrubs are looking their best.

The buds then open into clusters of small, often highly fragrant flowers during spring.

Berry-producing varieties develop their fruits after successful pollination, with the berries usually colouring during autumn and providing an attractive display through winter.

Are Skimmias Hardy? +

Most Skimmias are hardy evergreen shrubs well suited to UK gardens. Once established, they cope well with typical winter conditions, although young plants and those grown in containers benefit from protection from exceptionally exposed positions and prolonged severe weather.