Skimmia japonica Temptation - Japanese Skimmia

Skimmia japonica 'Temptation' is a desirable and ornamental variety all year round. This female Skimmia produces a lovely white flowering in spring, which stands out beautifully against the dark green evergreen foliage. The self-fertile flowers then develop to produce ornamental, bright red fruits in autumn, which persist for six months on the plant. In winter, early flower buds appear, which then mingle with the berries to create a stunning scene. Perfect for shaded areas, this compact slow-growing bush thrives in fresh non-calcareous soil. It can also be grown in a pot to enhance a terrace in the most beautiful way.

Skimmia is a member of the Rutaceae family, named after the Rue (Ruta in Latin) and includes over 150 genera, including citrus trees (Citrus and related species). Discovered in Japan by Carl Thunberg in 1780, the Skimmia genus contains about ten species native to the Himalayan regions and Southeast Asia. Its name comes from the Japanese skimmi and is said to mean "fruit that harms" as even birds cannot consume them. Skimmia japonica grows naturally in Japan, on the Russian island of Sakhalin, in Taiwan, and possibly also on the large island of Luzon in the Philippines. It can be found in forests, often developing as an epiphyte on trees, particularly Cryptomerias in Japan. There are male and female plants (dioecious plant), with the males displaying more showy and fragrant flowers and the females producing decorative fruit.
'Temptation' is a female variety, which has the interesting characteristic of being self-fertile, allowing it to bear fruit even in the absence of a male plant for pollination. The bush is compact and very dense, slow-growing, forming at maturity a more or less regular ball 90 cm to 1 m high with an equivalent width. The lanceolate leaves measure from 7 to over 10 cm long and are dark green with a visible lighter central vein. The leathery leaves are covered with a waxy cuticle that gives them a satin-like, almost glossy appearance. After rain, water forms droplets on the surface of the leaves, enhancing their shiny look. During winter, white flower buds form to bloom from mid-April. Corymbs of small flowers then rise slightly above the foliage, creating a lovely contrast. The slightly fragrant flowers shaped like small white stars are also honey-producing, adding a utilitarian appeal to this ornamental bush. Once pollinated, the flowers transform to produce clusters of very attractive bright red berries in autumn. These fruits are unattractive to birds, create a magnificent contrast against the dark foliage and persist throughout winter on the plant. They then coexist with the new flower buds, forming an irresistible trilogy in green, red, and white.

Skimmia japonica 'Temptation' is a little gem that truly deserves its name as it's so attractive. Its compactness allows it to be grown in a pot if the soil in your garden is calcareous or if your climate is too harsh in winter, allowing you to shelter it during severe frosts. In the ground, sheltered from the sun by the shade of taller plants, you can grow it with acid soil plants. At the edge of the bed, plant even lower plants, such as Andromeda polifolia 'Compacta', a dwarf Andromeda that will form a small cushion of 40 cm in all directions, whose fine dark green foliage is adorned with small pale pink bells from April to June. In the second row, alongside your Skimmia, plant Kalmia latifolia 'Olympic Fire', an unjustly overlooked shrub, known as Mountain Laurel, whose spring flowering in pink and white, both architectural and colourful, will enchant you. And in the background, another rare gem, Oxydendron arboreum, a medium-sized shrub with a very natural habit, which shines both for its summer flowering in long clusters of white bells and for its deciduous foliage that ignites red in autumn.