Sarcococca Winter Gem (Sweet Box)
Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis 'Winter Gem'
Overview
Sarcococca Winter Gem is a compact, evergreen shrub that brings year-round structure and winter fragrance to British gardens. This hardy member of the box family is prized for its glossy foliage, sweetly scented winter flowers, and ability to thrive in challenging shaded areas where many other plants struggle.
Key Features
Fragrant Winter Blooms: From December through February, this remarkable shrub produces clusters of tiny, creamy-white flowers that release an intense, honey-like fragrance. The blooms may be small and inconspicuous, but their perfume can scent an entire garden on still winter days.
Glossy Evergreen Foliage: Dense, lance-shaped leaves in rich dark green provide excellent year-round structure. The foliage has a lustrous quality that catches winter light beautifully, making it an excellent backbone plant for mixed borders.
Attractive Berries: Following the flowers, small black berries develop in late summer, providing food for wildlife and additional ornamental interest.
Growing Conditions
Light Requirements: Thrives in partial to full shade, making it perfect for those difficult north-facing borders or under tree canopies. Will tolerate some morning sun but performs best with protection from harsh afternoon light.
Soil Preferences: Adaptable to most soil types but performs best in moist, well-drained, fertile soil. Tolerates clay soils reasonably well once established. Prefers neutral to slightly alkaline conditions (pH 6.5-7.5).
Hardiness: Fully hardy throughout the UK (RHS Hardiness Rating H5). Withstands temperatures down to -15°C without protection.
Mature Size and Growth
Height: 0.5-1.0m Spread: 0.5-1.0m Growth Rate: Slow to moderate, typically gaining 10-15cm per year
The naturally compact, rounded habit requires minimal pruning to maintain its shape.
Planting and Care
When to Plant: Best planted in autumn or early spring when soil conditions are favourable.
Spacing: Allow 1-1.5 metres between plants for hedging, or plant as individual specimens in mixed borders.
Watering: Regular watering during the first growing season to establish roots. Once established, it's reasonably drought tolerant but benefits from consistent moisture.
Feeding: Apply a balanced, slow-release fertiliser in early spring. A mulch of well-rotted compost around the base will help retain moisture and suppress weeds.
Pruning: Minimal pruning required. If necessary, light trimming can be done after flowering in late winter or early spring.
Garden Uses
Woodland Gardens: Excellent choice for naturalising in woodland settings or beneath established trees.
Mixed Borders: Provides year-round structure in partially shaded mixed plantings.
Low Hedging: Can be used to create informal, fragrant hedging up to 90cm high.
Container Growing: Suitable for large containers on patios or terraces, particularly useful for bringing winter fragrance close to seating areas.
Wildlife Gardens: The flowers provide nectar for early pollinators, whilst the berries feed birds in late summer.
Companion Planting
Pairs beautifully with other shade-loving plants such as:
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Hellebores for winter colour
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Ferns for textural contrast
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Pulmonaria for spring flowers
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Astilbe for summer blooms
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Hosta for bold foliage
Seasonal Interest
Winter: Intensely fragrant flowers and evergreen structure Spring: Fresh new growth and developing berries Summer: Lush green foliage and ripening black berries Autumn: Consistent evergreen presence as other plants fade
Why Choose Winter Gem?
This cultivar has been specifically selected for its compact habit and reliable flowering. Unlike some Sarcococca varieties that can become leggy or require more space, 'Winter Gem' maintains a tidy, dense form that's perfect for smaller gardens. Its exceptional winter fragrance makes it invaluable for providing sensory interest during the darkest months of the year.
Special Notes
The intense fragrance is most noticeable on still, mild winter days. Position near pathways, seating areas, or windows where the scent can be appreciated. Despite its delicate appearance, this is a robust plant that will reward gardeners with decades of reliable performance once established.
Buying Shrubs from Jacksons Nurseries
At Jacksons Nurseries we sell a variety of shrubs both evergreen and deciduous with a variety of flowering times throughout the year. At certain times of the year our shrubs you buy from us may not look like the images shown on our website when deciduous leaves have fallen, the shrub has finished flowering or has been trimmed back.
Some leaves on evergreen shrubs can be damaged in winter by frost or harsh winds but in spring new leaves will readily replace those damaged. This is quite normal on many evergreen varieties and is preferable to plants grown with excessive protection that show cold shock once planted out and establish less satisfactory initially.
Availability: Stock availability figures are provided as a guide only. There is a delay between orders being placed and the plants being gathered by our pulling team. During this time it may be possible for a member of the public to purchase these plants from our Garden Centre, while this is rare it is a possibility and we will notify you of any problems as soon as possible. This figure may also include plants that have not yet be flagged as unsaleable.
Pre-order: Pre-order times are given as a guide only and may vary dependent on the growing season. Orders containing Pre-ordered products will be shipped as a single order when all items become available. Large orders may be part shipped, please contact us on 01782 502741 or email sales@jacksonsnurseries.co.uk.
* Please Note: Shrubs in 20 litre pots and above might require a pallet delivery starting at £79.99 per pallet. Depending on the exact pot size and height it may be possible to get approximately 5 plants per pallet at no extra cost. The maximum height we can dispatch on a pallet is 2.0m, this includes the height of the pallet and pot.
Shrubs are deciduous or evergreen woody plants, and often provide fragrant flowers, berries and foliage. They are good for structural framework, and they can provide a wonderful shelter and food source for wildlife.
Planting and Conditions
Container grown shrubs can be grown at any time of year. It is a little known fact that shrubs planted in the autumn and winter will be easier to look after than those planted in the spring and summer, because they will have time to establish and become hardy in the cooler months.
Plant the shrub at the same depth as it was in its original pot. Planting too deeply can result in root and stem rot.
One of the biggest causes of death in new shrubs is drought stress, so keep it well watered until it’s established.
Make sure you loosen the soil prior to planting. Most shrubs are tolerant of most soil types as long as it is fairly well draining.
Most shrubs will grow happily in containers, but they will be much more demanding on feeding and watering than shrubs in the ground would be. They will also need potting on every couple of years so that they don’t suffocate or become stunted in their pot.
Aftercare and Pruning
Once established, shrubs generally do not require much water. However, at first they need careful, frequent watering and should not be left to dry out.
Shrubs in the ground are generally not demanding and in most cases, annual feeding with general purpose fertilizer will suffice. Shrubs in containers may need more feeding; usually from early spring until late summer.
Shrubs also benefit from mulching in order to supress weeds, conserve moisture and provide vital nutrients. Mulch also greatly improves soil conditions. Shrubs can be mulched in late winter, after fertiliser has been applied, but it can be mulched through autumn to late spring as long as the ground is damp.
All shrubs benefit from dead-heading once spent flowers become apparent. Rhododendrons and Lilac especially benefit from the removal of dead flowers.
Some shrubs may show signs of reverted growth or ‘sporting’. This is where random shoots of different leaves associated with the plant’s parentage begin to appear. Most commonly this is where plants with variegated leaves sprout pure green growths instead of variegated ones.
To control reversion, remove reverted shoots promptly to discourage them. Reverted shoots are usually much more vigorous than the variegated ones, and thus should be completely pruned out and cut back into wood containing variegated foliage.
Potential Issues
Although shrubs are usually very robust garden plants, they can sometimes start to decline with no apparent or obvious reason.
This will start with browning leaves, which could indicate plant stress due to lack of water or waterlogging, an establishment failure or, in the worst case scenario, honey fungus. Another cause of leaf browning is a high salt content in the soil. This could be a natural occurrence, especially if you live near the ocean, or it could be from over fertilisation.
To remedy a high salt content, cut back on fertiliser and step up your watering regime for the next few weeks. If you live by the ocean, this will be harder to remedy—but stepping up your watering will help to wash some of the salt away all the same.
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