Skimmia japonica 'Moerings 4' RUBESTA® GIANT PINK Japanese skimmia

RUBESTA® GIANT PINK represents a further step in the targeted breeding of Japanese skimmias, a programme long pursued in the Netherlands by Adrianus Jozeph Moerings. It builds on the success of the original RUBESTA® and its predecessor Rubella, placing emphasis on a stronger floral effect and a more robust overall impression while retaining a compact habit. The cultivar is protected by European Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR), registration EU 34653, granted in 2013.

Whereas the basic RUBESTA® attracted attention mainly through the density and regularity of its growth, GIANT PINK raises the visual impact to a higher level, above all through its conspicuously larger flower buds and their richer colouring. The designation GIANT does not refer to the overall size of the shrub, but to the exceptionally large terminal clusters of buds, among the biggest found in male Japanese skimmias. These clusters give the plant its clear distinction from earlier cultivars. The epithet PINK relates not to the flowers themselves, which open to a creamy shade, but to the buds, which from autumn through to spring glow in vivid pink to fuchsia tones. In cold weather this colouring is at its most intense, and the shrub appears almost in flower despite being in deep winter dormancy. Flowering takes place in late March and early April and is accompanied by a strong, sweet fragrance.

The leaves are evergreen, leathery and highly glossy, deep green in colour, forming a calm, dark background for the striking bud clusters. Combined with slow, dense growth, this creates a shrub that appears neither sprawling nor untidy, but rather as a carefully composed whole in which each element has its place. RUBESTA® GIANT PINK is a male cultivar and therefore does not produce berries, but it serves as a reliable pollinator for female cultivars. Thanks to its naturally compact habit, it retains its shape over many years without the need for pruning. In garden design it is best used in shaded or partially shaded areas, where it provides a tranquil backdrop for spring bulbs at the front of borders or blends naturally with ferns and shade-loving perennials. It also fits beautifully into heath-style plantings with Japanese azaleas and pieris, bringing a strong seasonal effect at a time when most of the garden is still waiting.

Skimmia is an undemanding shrub that requires little routine maintenance, provided it is correctly sited and well planted. It needs consistently moist but very well-drained soil rich in nutrients, particularly iron and magnesium. The substrate should be light, humus-rich and acidic, ideally improved with leaf mould and peat to maintain suitable structure and pH. It thrives best in partial shade to deep shade, for example on the north side of a building or beneath broad-canopied trees that provide summer shade and diffuse strong winter sunlight. Pale or yellowing leaves usually indicate unsuitable conditions, too much direct sun, waterlogging, or poor, insufficiently acidic soil lacking iron. Skimmia tolerates urban conditions and air pollution well. It is fully hardy to at least −27 °C (USDA zone 5) and, in sheltered, non-sunny positions, also performs well in wider, relatively shallow outdoor containers with good drainage. If small pale speckles appear on the leaves, check the undersides, as they may indicate infestation by rhododendron lace bug, particularly on weakened plants. Thanks to its calm appearance and year-round effect, skimmia is also well suited to modern containers outside cafés and restaurants. The entire plant is poisonous.

Last update 15-03-2026