Solved Fragrant in April - Skimmia Japonica

If you want something to really fill the garden with scent in April, MrsK, try Osmanthus Burkwoodii, as it's gorgeous scent will travel yards and yards on a warm day!!

 

To honest, MrsK, it ain't!! The Osmanthus will grow to 4 to 5 feet in height and width has quite small dark green shiny leaves plus the flowers are small and tubular......and this is my Osmanthus





Whereas a Skimmia has flowers like this, the plant is quite and the leaves are bigger and longer, will only get to a height of 3'. Has flowers like your Skimmia like this:


and is described by the RHS like this

Skimmia are compact evergreen shrubs with simple, aromatic leaves and terminal panicles of small white or yellowish flowers followed, on fertilised female plants, by shiny red berries; most have male and female flowers on separate plants



'Rubella' is a small, bushy evergreen shrub with dark green, elliptic leaves to 10cm long. Panicles of red buds, showy in late winter, open to fragrant white flowers in early spring

 

Hi MrsK!! Yep, Rubella is another variety and there are a few others.

Skimmia Japonica [Male and Female]
Skimmia Japonica "Chameleon"
Skimmia Japonica "Dwarf Femal and Dwarf Male"
Skimmia Japonica "Keesen"
Skimmia Japonica "Kew White"
Skimmia Japonica "Luwian"
Skimmia Japonica "Magic Marlot"
Skimmia Japonica "Marlot"
Skimmia Japonica "Reevesiana"
Skimmia Japonica "Rubinetta"

 

I don't think so, Jenny. Having looked at MrsK's great pic of the plant I still agree with Silver Surfer that it is a Skimmia.

This is Osmanthus delavayi



Although there doesn't seem to be much difference to Burkwoodii there is and you would spot it if you had both plants in from of you.

I look forward to it flowering every year and it's a slow grower so it's not rampaging all over the border. It's squeezed between a Garrya "James Roofe" and a Pampas "Sunningdale Silver" but seems pretty happy there. It's also near my Arbour where I sit with a mug of tea and Jenny the Cat. On the other side of the Arbour within 6' is a Choisya "Sundance" which flowers later than the Osmanthus but still in time for them both to be in flower together. So the other day when it was sunny and warm I got wrapped in both scents while sitting in the Arbour so that really was Divine!!!

 

You can usually take it as a foregone conclusion that if Silver Surfer says what it is, then that's pretty certainly what it is. She's almost never wrong.

Sarcococca have a lovely fragrance that seems out of proportion to the small size of the flower but it flowers in winter and has usually finished by now.