Sarcococca confusa

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.