Skimmia japonica (syn. 'Godrie's Dwarf') 'MARLOT'^®

Skimmia is a small, evergreen shrub from Japan. After the year 2000 there have been a number 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 attractive fruit producing female plants. Varieties also differ from one another by habit, and lately also leaf colour, respectively its variegation.

Marlot^® skimmia is the mother variety of the forthcoming mutations Magic Marlot^® and Mystic Marlot^®. It has evergreen, leathery, broadly elliptic, very dark green, and highly glossy leaves. They create a perfect background for another lovely feature: the inflorescence. Tiny flowers are composed in dense clusters above the foliage already from late summer. The buds are white first, turning rosy pink in autumn, and deep burgundy red in inter. They open to creamy white, very fragrant flowers in April. Marlot^® is a dwarf variety of slow growth, forming a low, compact, mounding shrub and requires no pruning. It is male (no fruit) but pollinates all female varieties.

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 plant is poisonous. It is hardy to about -25°C (USDA zone 5b-6).

Last update 03-09-2020