Sarcococca hookeriana 'Sarsid1' FRAGRANT VALLEY™ Himalayan sweet box
size/type
low or groundcovering,small shrub
usual height
0,3-0,4m
usual width
0,5-1m
leaves
evergreen broadleaf
colour of leaves
flowers
less showy but noticeable
colour of flowers
blooming time
January-March
location
semi-shade to shade
soil type
any (acidic to alkaline)
soil moisture requirements
evenly moist but well-drained
USDA zone (lowest)
5b (down to -27°C)
winter protection
for zone 5+6
for zone 7
categorized
Sweet box is an Asian taxon of low to mid-sized, evergreen shrubs native to a large area from Afghanistan to the Himalayas and N.E. China. It is from the same family as box plant and even though they were supposed to be tender for C.E. climate, the fact than some species are present at the foot of the Himalayas encourages the breeders from colder areas to spend more time on their hybridizing.
Description of the plant:
FRAGRANT VALLEY™ is a Canadian contribution to the Himalayan sweet box family. It is a chance seedling selected by Gurjit Sidhu in their Sidhu & Sons Nursery in Mission, British Columbia, Canada in 2002. It was one of only two plants out of 2,000 seedlings that showed different characteristics compared to the species. FRAGRANT VALLEY™ is an extremely elegant Himalayan sweet box variety with prominently narrow leaves and a unique, dwarf habit making it suitable as a beautiful evergreen groundcover. The leaves are lush green, narrowly elliptic, pointed, highly glossy, 5-7 cm long and 1-1.5 cm wide. They densely cover the plant, and, unlike many other evergreen shrubs, the older leaves don’t fall off until after several years, so the whole shrub is almost always impenetrable. From mid-winter, dormant flower buds await warmer weather, which, if it lasts more than a few days, will allow them to open into tiny, white, pink flushed flowers that release a strong and sweet, hyacinth-like fragrance several meters around. When pollinated, they are followed by small, dark red to black, shiny, inedible but non-toxic fruits.
FRAGRANT VALLEY™ is a low growing shrub that spontaneously forms dense groundcovers thanks to its short rhizomes slowly spreading to all sides. It can be prevented by sheeting the ground by a mulching fabric. It does not require pruning but if you want to shape the plant, do so after flowering and trim it only lightly. If you plan to place them in the sun, which they don't like very much, water them regularly. It was granted two plant patents: PP19942 (USA in 2009) and 3496 (Canada in 2009).
Sweet box is commonly used in semi-shaded or shaded locations where it is protected from strong winter sunlight and cutting winds. It will grow in almost any well-drained soil but performs best in acidic to neutral, humus-rich, evenly moist soil. It thrives on neglect and once established it requires no care. Mulching helps retain moisture and reduces temperature swings in winter. FRAGRANT VALLEY™ has proved durable in dry conditions in full shade, too, and is hardy to min. -23°C (USDA zone 6). Some Canadian growers confirm it has withstood down to -27 °C.
Last update 11-11-2021
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