• Image of Sarcococca x confusa
  • Image of Sarcococca x confusa taken at US National Arboretum, DC
    US National Arboretum, DC
  • Image of Sarcococca x confusa taken at Juniper Level Botanic Gdn, NC by JLBG
    Juniper Level Botanic Gdn, NC by JLBG
1 4

Sarcococca x confusa

Confused Sweet Box

This plant is not currently for sale. This is an archive page preserved for informational use.

Shop Available Sarcococca

Item #: 2387

Zones: 7b to 10b, possibly colder

Dormancy: Evergreen

Height: 36" tall

Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade

Origin: China

Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)


Sarcococca x confusa is one of the toughest, most durable, evergreen perennials for adverse woodland garden conditions. This boxwood cousin has even garnered the Royal Horticulture Society's highest award, the Award of Garden Merit. For us, Sarcococca x confusa makes a 3' tall x 5' wide (10 years), slowly suckering, informally mounded hedge-like specimen. A patch of Sarcococca x confusa is composed of upright, arching green stems clothed in small, glossy, wavy, dark green leaves and adorned in midwinter with small, white, deliciously fragrant flowers. The flowers are followed by lovely terminal clusters of attractive blue fruit. Sarcococca x confusa thrives in both acidic and alkaline soils and, although it prefers average soil moisture, it is very tolerant of drought once established. In cool summer climates we have reports of Sarcococca x confusa reaching 6' tall, but not here. Sarcococca x confusa has never been seen in the wild and it is now assumed to be a hybrid of two Chinese species, Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna and Sarcococca ruscifolia var. chinensis.