Christmas Box

 As I walked through the garden gate this morning I was struck by the familiar scent of Christmas Box (Sarcococca confusa). I did not detect it yesterday but today it was unmistakable. This is one of the most powerfully scented of shrubs. The flowers are small and look rather insignificant yet they will make their presence known for a few weeks to come.

It is notable that the Christmas Box should first release its perfume on the first day of the new year. Their first flowering varies each year of course but the last couple of days have been unusually mild and this morning we have sunshine and blue skies too, so perhaps the conditions were right today.

We have quite a few of these shrubs planted around the house and nearby, planted some years ago by a previous owner. I am not sure if their positioning was deliberate but as it happens they are mostly in strategic locations: by gateways and doors so that you capture their scent as you go in and out. 

Christmas box, even if you don't notice their flowers much, is quite an attractive shrub. They have glossy evergreen, lanceolate leaves and grow to a compact two or three feet which keeps them neat and manageable. In the winter they shine but during the rest of the year they tend to go unnoticed, overshadowed by the emerging flowery excitements of spring, summertime flamboyance and fiery autumnal distractions. Nevertheless, its worth having at least one Christmas Box and even in a small garden there is space and sufficient garden-worthiness to include it.

Christmas Box (Sarcococca confusa) by 
our garden gate this morning. The flowers
are not quite open but the scent is powerful.