Growing Sweet Box: Tips at a Glance
Sweet box is an evergreen shrub that comes alive in winter when everything else is asleep, bursting into bloom with fragrant tiny white clusters of flowers.
- Type Evergreen shrub
- Lifespan Perennial
- USDA Zones 5-9
- Light Shade
- Water Withstands neglect
- When to Plant Autumn
- Design Tip Happy in containers
- Companions Ajuga, heuchera
- Peak Season White winter flowers
Sweet Box: A Field Guide
Sweet box comes alive in the garden in winter when everything else is asleep, bursting into bloom with fragrant tiny white clusters of flowers on its stems.
A low-growing evergreen shrub, Sarcococca “is an exquisite plant and practical too, putting up with neglect and atmospheric pollution,” writes Kendra. “Plant one by the front door and get to know it during the winter months.” Among our favorite cultivars for winter perfume are Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna (with flowers flushed with plum at their base); ‘Purple Stem’ Sweet Box (with colorful stems); Sarcococca ruscifolia var. chinensis (with red berries reminiscent of holly); S. ruscifolia var.chinensis ‘Dragon Gate’ (which has the benefit of flowering early), and S. confusa (with creamy white flowers and handsome dark berries).