Pollinator cultivar for Skimmia japonica Thunb.

Skimmia japonica is a typically dioecious species, in which male and female reproductive organs develop on separate individuals. Female plants are capable of setting decorative fruit only if pollen is transferred by insects from male specimens. The only exceptions are specific self-fertile forms, although the presence of a male plant promotes more abundant fruiting for them as well.

To ensure pollination, one male specimen is planted within the pollinator reach of a group of female plants, with one male shrub being capable of pollinating up to six female individuals. The distinction between male and female plants determines cultivar selection when planning plantings: for berry-like ornamental displays, a combination of a female cultivar with a male pollinator is a strictly mandatory requirement.