How to Plant, Grow, and Care For Sweetbox Shrubs

Sweetbox shrubs are shade-loving evergreens with all-season appeal. The graceful shrubs and groundcovers have glossy, dark green leaves, attractive in darker garden areas that other plants may find challenging. Low-maintenance, the woody ornamentals need little tending over their years of growth.

Sweetbox provides a broadleaf evergreen backdrop for foundations, mixed evergreen hedges, and as specimens. With a number of species within the Sarcococca genus commonly called sweetbox, there are a few primary ones commonly available in cultivation. They look good year-round, and in winter, bring the added bonus of tiny, sweetly fragrant, vanilla-scented white blossoms that line the stems.

Follow along to fall in love with these shrubs and learn how to keep them happy in your garden.

What are Sweetbox Shrubs

Sweetbox is a member of the boxwood (Buxaceae) family and adds rich evergreen foliage and texture to the shrub border or as a potted feature. Their light perfume in late winter and spring is a draw. Place them along a walkway, near the entryway, porch, or patio to enjoy their fragrance up close. Group them for impact in foliage, form, and fragrance.

Sarcococca species bring a range of sizes, from shrubs to lower-growing groundcovers. They pair beautifully with other shade-loving selections like azaleas, rhododendrons, and camellias. They complement perennials like Solomon’s seal, aspidistra, astilbe, bleeding heart, and ferns.

Characteristics

While there are numerous sweetbox species (about 14), they share similar characteristics in their waxy, deep green foliage, gently arching stems, and petite, creamy white, fragrant flowers. The blooms are mostly inconspicuous, and you may notice their soft scent before you spot the minute flowers along the stems.

Drupes of small red berries emerge after flowering and mature to black. They appear in summer and persist into winter for added interest.

Sweetbox shrubs have a dense habit and leafy stems. The leathery, glossy, evergreen leaves reach three inches long and have lighter undersides.

Sarcococca confusa, or fragrant sweetbox, is mounding with upright, gently arching stems. It begins with loose stems and develops a dense, shrubby form as it matures, as tall as it is wide (three feet by five feet).

Sarcococca hookeriana is a hardier species for colder climates, hardy to zone 5. Dwarf cultivars fit a variety of garden spaces.

Sweetbox shrubs tolerate pollution and drought once established. The durable shrubs are also deer and rabbit-resistant.

Native Area

Sarcococca originates mostly in Southeast Asia, including the Himalayas. Their native habitat includes mountainous regions and woodlands. They grow naturally on the forest floor under tree canopy in moist, well-draining situations.

Planting

Sarcococca has a slow to moderate growth rate, quietly filling its space with little tending. Allow a spacing of three to six feet between specimens for mature growth.

Transplanting

Spring and fall are the best times for planting sweetbox shrubs, with moderate temperatures and ample moisture. The extreme heat of summer in warm, southern regions can stress new additions. Make sure to provide plenty of shade and regular moisture.

How to Grow

Sweetbox is an easy-to-grow shrub. The low-maintenance evergreen tolerates shady situations for effortless style in both formal and informal settings like woodlands.

Light

A specialty of sweetbox shrubs is their ability to grow across shady sites. It performs best in partial to deep shade, with four or fewer hours of sunlight daily. Protect them from direct afternoon sun to prevent scorch and foliage discoloration.

Water

The ornamental woodies do best with regular moisture, although they withstand drought once established. Water about one inch per week or when the top three inches of soil are dry, for the first couple of growing seasons. They tolerate dry spells without supplemental watering when mature.

Aim for evenly moist, but not soggy, soil. Oversaturation can lead to fungal problems like root rot.

Soil

Sweetbox shrubs thrive in organically rich, slightly acidic, well-drained soils. It tolerates most soil types and pH levels as long as there is good drainage.

If native soils are lean, sandy, or clay-based, amend with leaf mold or compost worked into the soil at planting to improve organic richness and increase aeration.

Temperature and Humidity

The evergreens are hardy in zones 5 through 9 and appreciate shelter from drying winds, especially in winter. A two to three-inch mulch layer provides insulation in winter and cooling moisture in summer.

Sarcococca grows in climates with high heat and humidity, benefiting from shade protection and moisture against summer heat.

Fertilizing

In rich, fertile soils, the low-profile shrubs don’t need fertilizer every year. To boost nutrition in lean soils, fertilize in the spring with a balanced formula. Fish, blood, and bone meal offer low-grade organic options.

Maintenance

After they flower in spring, prune the branches to tidy the habit if needed. They don’t require regular trimming to maintain an attractive form.

Mulch with straw, bark chips, compost, or leaf litter for insulation, temperature regulation, and moisture retention. The amendment is especially helpful in dry situations and lean soils.

Propagation

Sweetbox propagates most easily through cuttings, followed by seed. With established clumps, dividing offshoots is also a viable option.

Cuttings

Take stem cuttings in early summer after the woody plant finishes blooming. To propagate via cuttings:

• Cut a four- to six-inch piece of healthy stem with no flowers.
• Remove the foliage from the bottom ⅔ of the cutting (keeping at least two leaves intact). Keep cuttings moist until ready to pot.
• Optional: moisten the cutting and generously coat the lower stem with rooting hormone. Tap off any excess rooting powder.
• Plant the cutting in at least two inches of moist, well-draining potting mix in a tray or four-inch pot.
• Place the pot or tray in a bright, warm location (68-75°F or 20-24°C), avoiding direct sunlight.
• Water/mist to keep the soil evenly moist.
• When the cutting resists a gentle tug after about 8 to 10 weeks, roots are in place and ready to be repotted.
• Keep the cuttings in four-inch pots for a few more weeks,  and move them outside in mild conditions. New plants will be tender.

Seeds

Collect dry seeds in the fall, and direct sow in their prepped garden location. Sowing seeds in the fall ensures they receive cold and moist stratification for germination in the spring. 

With spring’s warming conditions, keep the soil moist (but not soggy) as seedlings develop. Regular seasonal moisture is often enough, though sweetbox shrubs will need attention to moisture levels as tender new plants in their first and second growing seasons.

Popular Varieties

From compact and spreading to full, shrubby forms, different species and varieties offer all-season interest across garden scales.

‘Sweet & Lo™’

	botanical name Sarcococca hookeriana ‘Purplerij1’
	height 18-30″

‘Sweet & Lo™’ is a showy bloomer among the genus with two-toned petals in white, tipped in bright pink. They bring a jasmine fragrance to delight the garden and pollinators with their early-season blooms.

‘Sweet & Lo™’ shows good cold hardiness in zones 5 to 9. They add interest to the shady border as pollinator support in unexpected places with fewer blooming plants.

‘Dragon Gate’

	botanical name Sarcococca ruscifolia var. chinensis ‘Dragon Gate’
	height 2’

The species S. ruscifolia reaches three to four feet tall and wide with tiny blooms in March to April. Dense and low-growing, it may spread slowly through suckering offshoots. ‘Dragon Gate’ is a compact variety of fragrant sweetbox. At two feet tall and wide, it’s a fit for small spaces, containers, and along walkways.

Showy red berries transition to blue-black, adding interest after flowers fade that lasts into fall and winter. ‘Dragon Gate’ is a Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit recipient and designated pollinator support plant. 

Common Problems

Sweetbox shrubs seldom suffer from pest and disease issues. As members of the boxwood family, they’re susceptible to boxwood blight (Calonectria pseudonaviculata) in areas where the fungus is a problem. There’s no treatment for boxwood blight, which kills the shrubs.

Sap-Feeding Pests

Common sap-sucking pests like aphids may pop up and congregate on the undersides of leaves to feed with piercing mouthparts. They may cause yellow stippling on the surface, yellow blotches, wilting, and leaf drop. 

Scale are common sap-sucking insects that look like gray dots on stems and leaves. Branches may die back in heavy infestations. Remove affected leaves (and branches, if severe).

Spider mites present with webbing and light yellowing of leaf surfaces. They occur in dry and dusty conditions, particularly in sweetbox shrubs experiencing drought stress. Predatory insects like ladybugs and predatory mites help control populations.

In pest outbreaks, spray the plant with a strong stream of water to deter and knock insects off the stems. A horticultural soap or oil is effective in infestations, but be sure to follow label directions, as these also affect beneficial insects. 

Diseases

Fungal root rot is possible in overwatered situations. Root rot causes decline due to an inability to absorb water and nutrients. The pathogen Phytophthora impacts feeder roots, preventing them from uptaking water and nutrients. Leaves appear drought-stressed, turn yellow, and wilt.

Look for rot slightly below the soil level. If rot is the problem, the stems will be yellow, and the roots will be brown and mushy rather than healthy white.

If caught early and with only minor damage, the shrub can recover. Removed damaged foliage and root areas. Reduce irrigation frequencies to allow oversaturated soils time to drain. Keep soil evenly moist but not soggy. 

Proper cultural management, especially not overwatering, is the best control. Water deeply and increase the length of time between sessions if needed. 

Frequently Asked Questions