Sarcococca Confusa or Sweet Box

Sarcococca Confusa is an RHS AGM winning evergreen shrub that thrives in shade and produces sweetly-scented flowers in winter. It’s an excellent choice for winter seating areas and shady areas that other plants struggle in.

Sarcococca Confusa is better known as Sweet Box or Christmas Box. It’s native to east and south Asia and the Himalayan region. Experts aren’t sure, but it’s thought it arrived in Britain with travelling monks in the 15^th century.

Sweet Box is heaven-sent for anyone with a low-maintenance shady spot. This tough evergreen has a dense spreading habit that covers soil and grows in an attractive dome. It has larger leaves than box, but it’s a close relative of the buxus family. However, unlike box, it flowers in winter. Its creamy blooms are small but highly scented and have won the RHS plants for pollinators badge.

Christmas Box is one of the few winter-flowering shrubs that sustain bees in winter. When the flowers fade, small black berries emerge that are loved by birds.

Evergreen, low maintenance, wildlife-friendly, suits shade, flowering and scented – versatile Sweet Box has everything. It’s a must-have for all types of gardens.

Height And Spread of Sarcococca Confusa
Sweet Box is a low-growing shrub. It will reach around 1 metre in height and spread over 5-10 years.

How Hardy Is Sarcococca Confusa
This is a hardy evergreen in the UK if its roots are well drained. It needs shelter from cold drying winds to flower well and copes with some drought once it’s established.

How To Use Sarcococca Confusa
This evergreen thrives in shade, so it’s a good bet in shady areas where its flowers produce sweet scent throughout most of the winter. Plant it alongside similar Sarcococca Ruscifolia near seating areas, by the front door, and in window views for the best effect.

Christmas Box also grows in a well-watered and fed container and will brighten up a bare winter balcony garden or patio. You can also use it as a low-growing hedge, but if more than a metre is required try Sarcococca Hookeriana Digyna, an erect growing variety.

How To Care For Sarcococca Confusa
Christmas Box is easy to grow and look after.
Choose a sheltered spot in shade or partial shade in any type of well-drained soil, including sandy or chalky spaces.
After it has finished flowering and the berries are gone, trim back the branches to suit your space. Give it a thorough watering and apply a thick layer of well-rotted organic mulch to its roots.
If it’s growing in a container, raise Christmas Box on feet for good drainage and water it regularly in the dry months.