Sarcococca hookeriana flower (18/02/2012, Kew, London)
Position: Dappled shade
Flowering period: Late winter
Soil: Moist but well drained
Eventual Height: 70cm
Eventual Spread: 1.8m
Hardiness: USDA Zone 6a-9b
Family: Buxaceae
Sarcococca hookeriana is a slow growing, evergreen, mound forming shrub . Its dark green leaves are lanceolate. The flowers are produced in the axils of the leaves and are highly scented. The male flowers have extended pink anthers which are accented by small white petals. The female flowers are produced below the male flowers. The female flowers are then followed by fleshy black berries, produced in the summer months.
Sarcococca hookeriana, commonly known as Christmas Box, Sweet Box or sometimes the Himalayan Sweet Box, is native to the mountainous regions of western China.
The etymological root of the binomial name Sarcococca is derived from the Greek sarx ’flesh’ and kokkos ’berry’. Hookeriana is named after Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker who collected many plants from the Sikkim region of the Himalayas and was imprisoned there during his travels.
Sarcococca hookeriana (18/02/2012, Kew, London)
The landscape architect may find Sarcococca hookeriana useful as a low growing, evergreen shade tolerant shrub which produces very fragrant flowers during the winter months. It may be planted as a low growing informal hedge.
Ecologically, S. hookeriana is valuable as it attracts birds to the berries and is an excellent source of winter nectar for insects.
The Royal Horticultural Society has given S. hookeriana their prestigious Award of Garden Merit in 1993.
S. hookeriana prefers moist, fertile, well-drained soils. It tolerates most pH of soil. It is tolerant of dry chalky soils.
S. hookeriana requires little maintenance.
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