The Christmas box is an evergreen shrub, initially discovered in China, that will happily bring life to that garden’s shady, problematic corner. A low-growing compact shrub with large glossy foliage that provides the perfect foil for the white flowers to shine out against during the winter.
This winter evergreen shrub produces a gorgeously sweet honey-like fragrance from its delicate creamy-white flowers that appear from December to March. During early winter, this shrub will come alive with a multitude of highly perfumed white blooms. The Christmas box scent uplifts the spirits during the winter days when everything else may appear dull and dismal.
Ornamental dark blackberries follow white flowers that will last on the plant until spring. The Christmas box varieties on sale in garden centres typically reach 1.5m in the garden once established after several years.
A recipient of the highly regarded Award of Garden Merit by the RHS, Christmas Box presents beautifully in a container on the patio or near an entranceway where all your visitors can enjoy the elegant fragrance.
Sarcococca is an easy-care, low-maintenance evergreen plant that will need watering during the first growing season in the garden until it establishes.
The Christmas Box needs minimal light pruning to maintain shape after flowering in early springtime. Once you have finished pruning, it is an ideal time to apply Vitax Q4 All Purpose Premium Plant Food
The plant hardly suffers from any pests and diseases and provides colour at a time of the year when not much is in flower, and furthermore, once established, is drought-tolerant.
Following are some popular Christmas Box varieties available at Boma Garden Centre
Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna’ Purple Stem.’
Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna’ Purple Stem’. An attractive narrow-leaved form with white flowers and a pink tinge at the edge with beautiful dark purple contrasting stems.
Sarcococca ruscifolia var. chinensis’ Dragon Gate
Sarcococca ruscifolia var. chinensis’ Dragon Gate is a small-leaved variety of Christmas Box with an abundance of smaller white flowers with the same unbelievable powerful scent. This variety was discovered by Roy Lancaster in 1980 outside a temple in China hence the name ‘Dragon’s gate’.
Sarcococca hookeriana ‘Winter Gem.’
Sarcococca hookeriana ‘Winter Gem’ is another narrow-leaved upright growing form with white-pink blushed flowers appearing along the plant stems throughout winter.
Sarcococca confusa
Sarcococca confusa is the traditional Christmas Box with the most prominent white flowers and bigger leaves than the hookeriana species.
Boma Garden Centre in Kentish Town London has all the listed varieties of Christmas Box – Sarcococca. You can order online or visit the garden centre to find out more.
