Plant Details

This shrub has so many outstanding qualities, almost every garden should have one! First, there is its superb winter fragrance, that floats on the breeze in January and February. This intoxicating perfume of sweet vanilla, which is never cloying, comes from the tiny white flowers hidden among its evergreen leaves. The foliage is glossy and dark green, with a little twist to each leaf that adds texture to the shrub. Sweet box thrives in shade, where its leaf color is deepest green. It tolerates dry conditions once it is established, making it a good choice for under eaves and in dark, dry locations. Keep it out of hot afternoon sun or the leaves will scorch. If Sarcococca confusa is happy, its seedlings will germinate beneath-transplant them or give them to friends. Sweet box also makes a lovely, low hedge.

Sweet box grows best in open to deep shade in locations protected from hot afternoon sun. It prefers a rich moist to well-drained soil, but will tolerate sandy locations and clay if the drainage is adequate. Once established it is drought tolerant. It is slow to become established, often taking a couple of years to settle in. Little pruning is needed other than the occasional removal of dead or broken branches. In severe and sudden cold snaps it can defoliate, but it will leaf out in spring.

(Source: Great Plant Picks)