Sarcococca orientalis (sar-koh-KOH-kah or-ee-en-TAY-liss)
Family: BuxaceaeNon-nativeShrub (3-15 ft)
Shrub (3-15 ft)Non-native
Christmas Box is a small, evergreen shrub with a slow to moderate growth rate, but a long life span, and a preference for shady sites. The plant uses suckers to form colonies and, with a mature height of about 3 feet, makes an excellent ground cover. The plant is drought tolerant and deer resistant. It is a winter blooming plant, producing fragrant white flowers from January to March and shiny green foliage year round. Christmas Box can be planted in groups for a great perfume effect during the coldest days of the year. The genus name comes from the Greek words sarkos meaning flesh and kokkos meaning a berry in reference to the fleshy fruits. The species name reflects the plant's oriental native environment. Christmas Box does best in part shade in organically rich, acidic, well-drained soil. Once established, it required limited watering. It does prefer shade and placement in full sun can lead the leaves to turn yellow. Established plants have some drought tolerance and are cold hardy to about -10 F. You can prune the shrub in spring after flowering to maintain an attractive shape and desired height. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No known diseases or insect pests. VIDEO created by Ryan Contreras for “Landscape Plant Materials I: Deciduous Hardwoods and Conifers or Landscape Plant Materials II: Spring Flowering Trees and Shrubs” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Rounded; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate; Opposite
Leaf shape
Cuneate; Lanceolate; Ovate
Leaf feel
Leathery
Leaf value
Long-lasting; Showy
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Lustrous dark green leaves are ovate-lanceolate and cuneate at the base and can reach 3 1/2 inches in length. The leaves are longer than the leaves of the commonly cultivated S.confusa and broader than S. hookeriana.
Flower color
Pink; White
Flower value
Fragrant
Flower form
Insignificant
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Pink-tinged white flowers are inconspicuous but sweetly scented, and blossom along the branches in midwinter, their scent is most noticeable during mild spells.
Bloom time
Winter
Fruit color
Black
Fruit type
Drupe
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Female flowers give way to globose, shiny black fruits to 1/3 of an inch wide.