Plants for Winter Blooms - and They’re Fragrant Too!

If you’re looking for a plant to spruce up your January garden, the Sarcococca (sweet box) is a lovely addition to almost any space in the Pacific Northwest whether you live in a house, townhome or apartment.

These evergreen garden stalwarts provide year round interest with their small glossy leafs.  Highly versatile, Sarcococca work well in a variety of settings, from pots on decks, balconies or by front doors as well as in the ground (especially in shade and partial shade).  We’ve even seen Sarcococca growing in dry shade under a Giant Sequoia!   But it is the fragrant show this time of year that makes Sarcococca a real standout in the Pacific Northwest garden.

One of the first flowers of the year, Sarcococca's small white feathery blooms produce a heavenly fragrant vanilla scent that is unmistakable.  Set against a backdrop of glossy green leaves, these tiny white blooms provide both beauty and scent to the Pacific Northwest garden during the cold, dark winter months when much of the garden lies dormant.  Hummingbirds especially love the fragrant blooms on Sarcococca, a welcome food source for our hummingbirds at a time of year when food is scarce for them. Sarcococca flowers eventually turn into black or red fruit (depending on the variety), providing food for wildlife.  

Sarcococca comes in several different varieties, from Sarcococca ruscifolia which is more sprawling to Sarcococca confusa which grows three to five feet high and equally as wide around five feet.  There are also dwarf varieties.   

Sarcococca can be left to grow naturally, or pruned either in a natural shape or as a topiary.  They can be used as foundation plantings, in shaded borders, as woodland plantings and as low hedges.  Planted near walkways and doors, Sarcococca can delight visitors this time of year as its sweet fragrance fills the air.

You can find Sarcococca at local nurseries including West Seattle Nursery, Zenith Holland and Urban Feed and Garden, as well as at Lowe’s garden centers.