November
Skimmia japonica 'Pabella'
Plant Characteristics:
Pretty, pale pink, fragrant blossoms top the glossy green foliage of the Japanese skimmia in spring, followed by decorative, glossy, cherry red fruits by the start of fall. A shade-loving broadleaf evergreen shrub, it is native to Japan and southeastern China. Mounded in habit, it has dark-green, glossy, lance-shaped leaves concentrated in whorls at branch ends.
Crush the foliage and enjoy its scent.
In mid-spring, the tips of branches (bearing small, clustered red-pink flower buds from the previous fall) bloom with fragrant, small, star-shaped flowers that are white with pink undertones. Japanese skimmia is dioecious: plants are either male or female. The female plants, once pollinated, bear lovely clusters of glossy red berries in autumn. The fruits contrast handsomely with the leaves, as do the young, developing flower buds through the winter.
General Care:
Being slow growing, there is little required in the way of pruning, and in fact it is better not to cut them at all if possible. If the plant does start to get too large, lightly snip selected branches in a manner that still leaves the overall bush nice and green. If your Skimmia refuses to grow well, the soil conditions are probably not to its liking and the only alternative is to grow it in a pot. As an evergreen plant with nice glossy leaves, flowering during the winter months, it can be a welcome addition to the patio at this time. Relatively free from pests, the only trouble to watch for is mineral deficiency otherwise known as chlorosis.