Skimmia x Confusa Kew Green

Skimmia Kew Green (full name Skimmia x Confusa Kew Green) is a fabulous compact shrub with evergreen glossy aromatic leaves and white-yellow flowers from autumn through to spring time. These evergreen shrubs thrive in normal to acid soil and work well in pots and planters, making them a popular choice for patios and roof terraces. Skimmia are extremely tolerant plants and are low maintenance. They will thrive in most types of moderately fertile soil, including acid, alkali or neutral soil types. They grow well in part or full shade and are great for ground cover or for use on banks and slopes. No wonder this variety has been awarded the Award of Garden Merit by the RHS, a sure sign it will perform well in most UK gardens. Skimmia Kew Green is a male variety of Skimmia. To achieve pollination, therefore, you’ll want to plant the males such as Kew Green with related female cultivars such as Skimmia Japonica Pabella so as to enable the development of their shiny red berries.

From the Family Rutaceae, the Genus Skimmia are known for their compact evergreen shrub habit with simple leaves that possess an aromatic quality.  Their terminal panicles develop flowers that are white or yellowish in colour. This very interesting shrub occurs as either males or females on separate plants.  

Skimmia Kew Green is a small, spreading shrub with broad leaves occurring in an oblanceolate shape and about 12 centimetres in length, with noticeably large clusters of small, fragrant flowers with a white to yellowish colour in the spring.

Hardy to Zone H5 in the UK and Ireland, Skimmia Kew Green likes an Aspect with partial shade to sunny exposures, so plant in south, west, east, or north facing gardens. Kew Green tolerates exposed or sheltered positions, and prefer moist soils that drain well. Something like a chalk or loam soil is excellent, with plenty of humus, but good drainage.  If planted in full sun, be sure the soil holds its moisture well, as an excessively dry soil and full sun will cause them to become chlorotic. They’re a low maintenance shrub, and are tolerant of polluted air environments to a degree, making them a good choice for urban environments.

This compact shrub grows to an ultimate height of 0.5 to 1.0 metre and an ultimate spread of approximately 1.0 to 1.5 metres. It takes a Skimmia Kew Green anywhere between 10-20 years to reach physiological maturity. An excellent choice for low maintenance banks and slopes, Skimmia Kew Green is relatively disease free, though they can be susceptible to horse chestnut scale and red spider mites in certain locations.