Meetings with plants in winter: Christmas box

Bramble & Briar #87

Sarcococca confusa – or Christmas box – rocking berries as well as flowers. At the same time. No wonder it’s confused

There’s a common misconception that nothing happens in the garden in winter. Largely promulgated, I’m convinced, by folk who rarely venture outside between Halloween and Easter. It’s not so much that nothing happens in the garden in winter, but that the rate at which things happen is much slower than at other times of the year. This means that each happening is surrounded by so much more space, allowing us both the time to take stock and the room to stand back and admire. Space enough to celebrate. And I do love a celebration.

And so across the (not at all) bare winter landscape of the garden, there’s a general clamour for the attention of the visitor, not least from the scented shrubs so desperate to attract notice, and so shy of competition, that they race to burst into bloom before they’ve even given a thought to producing any leaves, launching their delicious perfume onto the breeze from barely furnished twigs. Not for the sarcococca which, of all the plants in the garden, seems reluctant to let go of anything. As reliably evergreen as its cousin, the box, you’ll find this year’s flowers on the same stem as last year’s berries. This is a plant that appreciates commitment, and brings an attachment style to parenting.

It’s also a plant that can be relied upon to assault your nostrils every January with the most delicious smell – somewhere between vanilla, honey, and something fudgey on the toffee-caramel spectrum. It’s a good scent that intensifies when you snip a twig or two to bring indoors rather than, like some others (looking at you, Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’), making you wonder if the cat’s been caught short behind the sofa. I have, however, recently learned that sprigs of Sarcococca confusa do not have the same staying power on a winter wreath as those of holly, ivy, or any of the coniferous branches you might select for the job – at least in their unconditioned state, and since I seem too habitually slapdash ever to condition something I’ve snipped from the garden, I’m unlikely to know if that would make much difference, which is a shame (how would one do it anyway; sear the cut ends? Do let me know if you have the solution!).

Sarcococca will grow on moderately heavy clay, unless it gets regularly waterlogged. Not in full sunshine if you want healthy, deep green and glossy leaves; ideally, give it a well-drained soil in partial shade. In such a happy location, don’t be surprised if it decides to seed itself around, an issue more of delight than difficulty, since whose day wouldn’t be gladdened by the gift of a tiny Christmas box?

Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna – or sweet (rather than Christmas) box – has longer, lighter leaves than its relative confusa, and red stems. So hard to choose which one to grow, which is why I have both