#buxaceae

Boxwood Garden - Emil Nolde , 1909.

German , 1867-1957

Sarcococca hookeriana, Buxaceae

If you’ve ever been in the presence of sweet box between late winter and the beginning of spring, you probably remember its distinctive strong floral scent, which can be perceived meters away from the plant even on still and very cold days. This hardy evergreen shrub native to western China and the Himalayas is part of a genus unknown to me until I moved to Scotland, where I could see and appreciate it for the first time at the botanic gardens in Glasgow and Edinburgh. At GBG sweet box is planted together with sweetest honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima) and the scent combo is very, very powerful. The small flowers leave space to shiny, and often black, persistent berries of which I know little about: I haven’t had a chance to observe a mature bush with fruit long enough to know if birds and the rest of wildlife ever consume them: once again, it’s odd to be unable to find any info about it. If that’s the case then the plant could start from your garden and naturalise in your area given the right conditions, so consider details like this and plant with judgement. As far as I am aware, sweet box isn’t associated with invasive species though, and generally spreads slowly by suckering. 

Julia Jane Boxwood (Buxus microphylla 'Julia Jane')

A cultivar of littleleaf boxwood, which is native to Japan and Taiwan. It is evergreen and hardy up to zone 4. Julia Jane boxwood is fairly low maintenance and deer resistant, making it an attractive choice for adding fine texture to an ornamental landscape.