{"product_id":"sarcococca-confusa","title":"Sarcococca confusa","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSarcococca confusa\u003c\/strong\u003e, the sweet box or Christmas box, is one of the most useful winter-flowering shrubs for shade. This bushy evergreen shrub from the \u003cem\u003eBuxaceae\u003c\/em\u003e family holds glossy dark green leaves all year and, in the depths of winter, opens tiny cream flowers that carry a powerful honey and vanilla scent long before the rest of the garden has woken up.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom December to March those unassuming flowers perfume the air around a doorway or path, and are followed by glossy black berries that hold well into spring. As a compact \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/hardy-exotics\"\u003ehardy exotic\u003c\/a\u003e reaching around 1.5 to 2m, sweet box earns its place in shade where little else will flower.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eHow and where to grow\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePosition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Happy in partial or full shade, including tricky dry shade under trees. Plant it near a door or along a path you walk in winter so you catch the scent. Browse more \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/plants-for-shade\"\u003eplants for shade\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil:\u003c\/strong\u003e Any humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil. It tolerates chalk and does not need ericaceous compost.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e A bushy evergreen to roughly 1.5 to 2m tall, excellent as low informal hedging or grown in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/plants-for-pots\"\u003epots and containers\u003c\/a\u003e by a doorway.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHardiness:\u003c\/strong\u003e Fully hardy in the UK (RHS H5) and evergreen. See our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/hardy-exotics-what-to-expect\"\u003ewhat to expect\u003c\/a\u003e guide for seasonal notes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Christmas box is one of those quietly brilliant plants: give it a year or two to establish and it becomes a low-maintenance backbone for shady \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/exotic-border-plants\"\u003eexotic borders\u003c\/a\u003e, while its winter flowers are a vital early nectar source for bees and other \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/plants-for-pollinators\"\u003epollinators\u003c\/a\u003e. A superb winter-flowering shrub for shade, sent out as a strong, nursery-grown plant ready to scent your garden for years to come.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"GROW TROPICALS","offers":[{"title":"17cm \/ 2L","offer_id":57955616883071,"sku":"SARCCONF17","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0361\/9645\/0348\/files\/iStock-2211815843-ai-modified-86ecc521-155c-4f67-bc07-2cef67710681.jpg?v=1784329564","url":"https:\/\/growtropicals.com\/products\/sarcococca-confusa","provider":"GrowTropicals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}