What: Few shrubs reach their peak in the middle of winter, but that is precisely when Sarcococca ruscifolia, commonly called fragrant sweetbox, begins to shine. Tiny white flowers hidden amongst its ...

Sweet box is a low-growing shrub that is especially welcome near the house in winter. It provides evergreen color and lovely white blooms with a sweet scent in late January and early February. (Marci ...

Bloom season: Small, fragrant white blossoms in late winter and early spring. Exposure: Shade or early morning sun. Pruning needs: None. Water needs: Low; once established, water deeply once a month.

Actually, there aren’t any shrubs that really require trimming. They get by without it in the wild, after all. As Alan Titchmarsh notes in “How to Garden: Flowering Shrubs,” “Many gardeners struggle ...

A shrub whose name says it all is the fragrant sweet box (Sarcococca ruscifolia). This shade-loving shrub has ovate, leathery, shiny dark-green leaves that are about 2½ inches long. Fragrant sweet box ...

What: Small, evergreen, shade-loving shrubs are hard to find in the Northwest, but this dwarf sweetbox fits the bill with its fragrant white flowers in early spring and blue-black berries in summer.