Skimmia japonica 'Moerings 3' RUBESTA®
Skimmia japonica 'Moerings 3' RUBESTA®
Japanese skimmia
Japanese skimmia
| SIZE/TYPE | small shrub |
|---|---|
| USUAL HEIGHT | 0.5-0.7m |
| USUAL WIDTH | 0.5-0.8m |
| LEAVES | evergreen broadleaf |
| COLOUR OF LEAVES |
 green |
| FLOWERS | showy |
| COLOUR OF FLOWERS |
  combined:deep red and white
|
| BLOOMING TIME | April - May |
| LOCATION | semi-shade to shade |
| SOIL TYPE | acidic (peaty) |
| SOIL MOISTURE REQUIREMENTS | evenly moist but well-drained |
| USDA zone (lowest) | 5b (down to -27°C) |
| WINTER PROTECTION | |
| FOR ZONE 5+6 |
|
| FOR ZONE 7 |
|
| BELONGS TO CATEGORIES | Evergreen broadleaf |
Skimmia is a small, evergreen, shade-loving shrub from Japan. After the year 2000 there have been plenty of new varieties which are still being tested for stability of their featured characteristics. The aim is to select plants distinctly different from the species. They are usually split by sex: profusely flowering male plants, and female plants producing attractive fruit. Varieties also differ from one another by habit as well as leaf colour, respectively its variegation.
Dutch series RUBESTA® of Japanese skimmia is bred by Adrianus Jozeph Moerings and his first introduction, called solely RUBESTA®, is an improvement over a bestselling male variety Rubella. It has smaller foliage, more compact habit, and exhibits better growing performance thanks to stronger root system.
RUBESTA® skimmia has dark green and glossy, evergreen leaves. In autumn are formed attractive terminal panicles composed of tiny, bright maroon flower buds which persist on the plant until early spring. Then they open into porcelain white, 4-petalled flowers with yellow anthers. They are intensely fragrant – almost like lilacs – and bloom early in the skimmia season i.e., from late March or early April. RUBESTA® is a male, non-fruiting variety but a great pollinator for all female skimmias producing berries in late summer. It grows slowly into a mounding shrub 50-70 cm tall and wide. European patent No. EU 34653 was granted in 2013.
If you plant it well you needn’t look after it any longer except for occasional watering in dry spells. There are a few rules you have to follow if you want your skimmia look perfect: the soil has to be always moist but extremely well-drained, acidic (add peat), light (add leaf mould), and most of all humus-rich. The best location is dappled shade or even deep shade (shady back of your house or under thick canopies of tall trees). When leaves turn pale or even yellow the plant suffers from too much sun or water, or too little nutrients in the soil.
Skimmia is tolerant of atmospheric pollution which makes it an ideal choice for urban landscapes. Being suitable for all-year-round cultivation in outdoor pots it is widely used by trendy restaurants and cafes as a decoration of their outdoor seating areas where thanks to its compact habit it does not take up space. Just avoid sunny locations. The entire plant is poisonous. It is hardy to about -27 °C (USDA zone 5b).
Last update 08-05-2022
Dutch series RUBESTA® of Japanese skimmia is bred by Adrianus Jozeph Moerings and his first introduction, called solely RUBESTA®, is an improvement over a bestselling male variety Rubella. It has smaller foliage, more compact habit, and exhibits better growing performance thanks to stronger root system.
RUBESTA® skimmia has dark green and glossy, evergreen leaves. In autumn are formed attractive terminal panicles composed of tiny, bright maroon flower buds which persist on the plant until early spring. Then they open into porcelain white, 4-petalled flowers with yellow anthers. They are intensely fragrant – almost like lilacs – and bloom early in the skimmia season i.e., from late March or early April. RUBESTA® is a male, non-fruiting variety but a great pollinator for all female skimmias producing berries in late summer. It grows slowly into a mounding shrub 50-70 cm tall and wide. European patent No. EU 34653 was granted in 2013.
If you plant it well you needn’t look after it any longer except for occasional watering in dry spells. There are a few rules you have to follow if you want your skimmia look perfect: the soil has to be always moist but extremely well-drained, acidic (add peat), light (add leaf mould), and most of all humus-rich. The best location is dappled shade or even deep shade (shady back of your house or under thick canopies of tall trees). When leaves turn pale or even yellow the plant suffers from too much sun or water, or too little nutrients in the soil.
Skimmia is tolerant of atmospheric pollution which makes it an ideal choice for urban landscapes. Being suitable for all-year-round cultivation in outdoor pots it is widely used by trendy restaurants and cafes as a decoration of their outdoor seating areas where thanks to its compact habit it does not take up space. Just avoid sunny locations. The entire plant is poisonous. It is hardy to about -27 °C (USDA zone 5b).
Last update 08-05-2022
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