Will it bear fruit?

Q Is my non-berrying skimmia male or female? ALAN COWUP, ESSEX

AA skimmia with no berries could be a male or a lonely female! Male plants tend to have larger flower clusters while females produce small, loose clusters of bloom. When the flowers open, look inside to see if they have a small, oval, green ovary in the centre, which will become a berry if fertilised. Skimmia japonica ‘Rubella’ (above) is good male partner, with large, showy clusters of red buds. However, it’s more likely that your plant is male, so if you plant a female nearby you should then get berries on that.