Skimmia is grown for its foliage and the structure it brings to a planting. It's hardy across USDA zones 7 through 8, shrugs off deer and grows just as well in a container as in the ground. Its spring flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees.
Skimmia — the short answer
Skimmia: grown in zones 7–8, shade, pH 4.5–6.5.
- USDA zones
- 7–8
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
- Soil pH
- 4.5–6.5
- Growable Ground Plant Database
- Sun
- Shade
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Skimmia on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether skimmia actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score skimmia against your land's real conditions.
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What Skimmia is
Skimmia grows as a perennial and reaches around five feet at maturity. It blooms white in spring. It's also deer-resistant and well suited to containers.
How to grow Skimmia
Skimmia grows in USDA zones 7 through 8. Skimmia does best in shade — at least 2 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 4.5 to 6.5, on well-drained ground. It needs a growing season of at least 150 frost-free days, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
7-8
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
4.5 - 6.5
Growable Ground Plant Database
Sun
Shade
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Mature Height
5 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
150+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant skimmia in shade with at least 2 hours of direct sun. It grows in the cool halves of the year, so sow it in spring or late summer rather than waiting for midsummer heat.
Match the soil
Skimmia prefers pH 4.5 to 6.5 (Growable Ground Plant Database). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Keep it in good form
Prune skimmia to shape as it grows; the reward is its foliage and structure, not a harvest, so steady upkeep is the whole job.
Where Skimmia thrives
Skimmia is hardy across USDA zones 7 through 8. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 7–8 spans average winter lows from 0°F to 20°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 2 outright and splits 39 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 7–8·Where Skimmia growsOpen map →
This map is derived from the USDA ARS / PRISM Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) and is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Where Skimmia stands, state by state
Skimmia is rated for zones 7–8 — a cold floor USDA puts at 0 to 10°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 2 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 39 more, and 10 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
The line runs through
39 states
3 of 39 shown
Skimmia’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
Outside zones 7–8
10 states
- Minnesota · zones 3a-5a
- Montana · zones 3a-6b
- New Hampshire · zones 3b-6b
3 of 10 shown
Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant often works in a container that comes under cover. Each link is that state’s own growing hub.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Skimmia
Growing guides for skimmia
In rotation planning, skimmia counts as a Other — beds recover best when other crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)
Related plants in shrub
Good to know
One caution for pet owners — skimmia is toxic to dogs and cats (mild severity). Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: Pet Poison Helpline.)
Skimmia offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators.
Your land is one point inside Skimmia's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Skimmia will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether skimmia actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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How we know this about Skimmia
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•USDA PHZM•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Skimmia in my zone?
Skimmia grows in USDA hardiness zones 7 through 8 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Skimmia?
Skimmia is a cool-season crop, so it goes in during the cool halves of the year — early spring, and again in late summer for a fall planting — rather than at the height of summer heat. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Skimmia need?
Skimmia is shade-tolerant — it gets by on as little as 2 hours of direct sun, so it earns a place most vegetables can't use. A north-facing strip or the ground under a leafy canopy is right where it belongs. A Growable Ground report shows which corners of your land stay shaded through the day, turning those dim spots into planting spots.
What soil does Skimmia need?
Skimmia prefers soil pH 4.5 to 6.5, on well-drained ground (Growable Ground Plant Database). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Skimmia attract pollinators?
Yes — skimmia's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees.
Is Skimmia safe for pets?
Skimmia is toxic to pets (dogs,cats) with mild severity. Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: Pet Poison Helpline.)
Keep exploring Skimmia
Skimmia state by state
Every state skimmia's zone reaches — 2 link straight to that state's skimmia growing page; the rest open the state's full growing guide.