Sweet Box is a low-growing evergreen shrub that brings fragrance and drama to shaded corners where few plants dare to thrive. This botanical variety of Sarcococca hookeriana matures to just 12-24 inches tall but spreads slowly to 24-48 inches wide, creating a dense, glossy groundcover or low hedge. In March through April, it bursts into tiny white tubular flowers so fragrant they seem impossible from such a modest plant, followed by showy black berries. Hardy in zones 6-8 and unfazed by deep shade or deer, it's a rare shrub that actually improves with shade and asks very little in return.
Partial Shade
Moderate
6-8
24in H x 48in W
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Moderate
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The fragrance arrives first, a honeyed sweetness that belies the flower's tiny, almost invisible appearance. Glossy, lanceolate evergreen leaves maintain their lustrous dark green year-round, even in dense shade where many shrubs fade to dull olive. After the spring flowers fade, glossy black drupes add weeks of visual interest, and once established, this shrub simply thrives on neglect, asking only consistent moisture and acidic soil to spread slowly and dependably across shaded spaces.
Sweet Box functions beautifully as a low hedge in shaded borders, or naturalized under trees where it will slowly spread by underground stolons to create a weed-suppressing evergreen carpet. Its compact size and shade tolerance make it an excellent choice for small spaces where a traditional hedge is impractical.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Prune in spring after the March-April flowering period concludes to maintain an attractive, compact shape. This timing allows you to remove winter-damaged growth and any leggy stems while the plant is actively growing.
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