Skimmia 'Rubella' Shrub (Skimmia japonica 'Rubella')

Skimmia Shrub Plants Description

Skimmia (Skimmia japonica Rubella) is an attractive, evergreen shrub that is well-known for its year-round appeal, featuring glossy green leaves, fragrant white or pink-tinged flowers, and vibrant red or white berries. Compact and slow-growing, Skimmia is a popular choice for borders, containers, and informal hedging, adding colour and structure to gardens even during the winter months. This shade-tolerant shrub thrives in a variety of garden settings and is particularly valued for its ability to brighten up shaded areas.

Benefits:

Year-round interest: Skimmia offers multi-seasonal beauty with its dark green, leathery leaves, clusters of small, fragrant flowers in spring, and colourful berries that persist into winter.

Shade-tolerant: Unlike many shrubs, Skimmia thrives in partial to full shade, making it an ideal choice for gardens with limited sunlight.

Wildlife-friendly: The fragrant flowers attract bees and other pollinators in spring, while the berries provide food for birds during autumn and winter, enhancing the biodiversity of your garden.

Low-maintenance: Skimmia is a hardy, disease-resistant shrub that requires minimal care once established, making it a great choice for low-maintenance gardens.

Compact growth: With its neat, compact form, Skimmia is perfect for smaller gardens, courtyards, or as a decorative addition to patio containers.

Pruning Advice

Skimmia requires little pruning, but light trimming can help maintain its shape and promote healthy growth. The best time to prune is in late spring, immediately after the flowering period. Remove any dead, damaged, or diseased branches, and lightly trim back any unruly growth to maintain a compact form. Avoid heavy pruning, as this can reduce flowering in the following season. If needed, older plants can be rejuvenated by more significant pruning, but care should be taken not to cut into the old wood, as regrowth may be slow.

With minimal pruning and care, Skimmia will provide year-round beauty and structure to your garden, while also benefiting local wildlife.

Further Information

Planting distances are largely a matter of preference. For bare root plants, spacing them at 3 plants per meter is sufficient, 5 plants is optimal, and 7 plants in a double staggered row will result in a denser hedge more quickly. Generally, smaller plants should be planted at a higher density. For cell-grown plants, spacing at 4 plants per meter in a single row or ideally 6 plants per meter in a staggered row is recommended.

Delivery & Returns

Free delivery is available on most orders (except Premium Products) providing they meet the minimum spend criteria for the size of box or pallet. Pallet deliveries and large box deliveries for tall plants are indicated by icons on the product table listings. Delivery costs and minimum order details for each packaging type are as follows:

* Standard Sized Boxes (Bare root up to 1.2m tall & pots up to 7.5L) | Free UK Mainland Delivery for orders over £250 | or £9.98 charge.

* Tall Sized Boxes (Bare roots 1.2m & over) | Free UK Mainland Delivery for orders over £250 | or £24.99 charge.

* Pallets (Root balls, large pots 10L+, trees etc | Free UK Mainland Delivery for orders over £350 | or £82 charge.

* Pleached Trees (Specialist Delivery) | Free UK Mainland Delivery for orders over £1500 | or £450 charge.