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Sweetbox | Sarcococca

February 13, 2019 by Dave Marciniak Leave a Comment

When I was a kid, with a very active imagination, my friend’s parents bought a new fridge. Seeing that cardboard monolith that I could turn into a fighter plane. I couldn’t help but say “dude, sweet box!” Nowadays, when I say Sweetbox I’m talking about Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis, what I think is an underused but extremely versatile plant.

Let’s start with the common name. Sweetbox is so named because of the sweetly scented spring flowers it produces. The foliage is a gorgeous, glossy green. Sweetbox is one of my problem solver plants. In terms of light requirements, less light is better. It’ll start to thin out and fade away with too much sun, so partial to full shade is better. It also stays small, maxing out at 12-15 inches tall. Spread is typically listed at 2 to 4 feet and that really just depends on how happy it is.

There are a few uses that I think sweetbox is made for. It makes for a nice border along the edge of a bed. It’s also great for filling in those random, small, full shade niches homebuilders stick us with. Just be sure the area where you’re planting sweetbox drains well. While it’ll tolerate our clay soils, sweetbox won’t tolerate sitting in a mud puddle.

Sweetbox is in the boxwood family, so just be aware of boxwood blight. If you’ve had that fungal disease on your property, I’d say boxwood and sweetbox are off the menu. Other than that, it’s a solid little performer that has delighted dozens of my clients over the years I’ve worked in Virginia.


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About Dave Marciniak

Dave Marciniak is a landscape designer and speaker. He lives in Culpeper, Virginia and can be found via his website and on Twitter.

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814 S. Blue Ridge Ave
Culpeper VA
22701
540-827-4299

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  • About our team
    • Press
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    • Featured Projects
      • Fredericksburg Landscape Design and Pool
      • Pond install in Prince William County
      • Culpeper Landscape Design
      • Culpeper Modern Backyard Landscape Design
      • Sperryville landscape design with ponds and waterfalls
      • Fredericksburg landscaping at Chancellorsville
      • Lake Anna landscaping & planting
      • Culpeper Winery Landscape Design
      • Oakton Modern Landscape Design
    • Plantings
    • Patios & walks
    • Pools & Ponds
    • Pavilions & Porches
    • Pergolas & Decks
    • Outdoor kitchens
    • Fireplaces & Firepits
    • Retaining walls
  • Services
    • Landscape Design
    • Landscape Installation
    • Landscape Maintenance
    • Water Features
    • Outdoor Lighting
    • Outdoor Kitchens
    • Estate Gardening
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • SHOP

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