Sarcococca confusa is also known as Sweet Box or Christmas Box.
Why should I plant Sarcococca hedging?
Sarcococca hedging is an extremely good small hedging plant which has become increasingly popular in recent years as an alternative to Box hedging. It is evergreen and produces elliptic taper pointed dark green leaves and grows well in many situations. It is highly popular as it produces small creamy white flowers during the winter which are highly and sweetly scented and are a pleasant addition at a time of year when not much else is flowering. Sarcococca is useful for demarcating separate parts of gardens and is increasingly found in many formal gardens as small hedging.
How tall will Sarcococca grow?
Sarcococca are best grown as a small hedge and are commonly grown to create hedges of 1-3ft (30-90cm) in height.
How quickly will a Sarcococca hedge grow?
Sarcococca is relatively slow growing, which is one of the many reasons it is favoured for making small hedges. When your Sarcococca hedge has reached its desired height it should be kept trimmed to encourage it to thicken out and make a denser hedge.
When should I clip or trim a Sarcococca hedge?
A Sarcococca hedge will need to be clipped annually in the spring or autumn as you would with any other hedge. We recommend trimming in the spring after the flowers have gone over which will encourage vigorous new growth in the spring.
How far apart should I plant a Sarcococca hedge?
We recommend that Sarcococca should be planted at 5 to the metre in a single row. Careful preparation of the planting site is important. See section below on how to look after your Sarcococca hedge after planting.
How do I look after my Sarcococca hedge after planting?
Although Sarcococca plants are tolerant and will put up with most soil types, we recommended that the planting soil is mixed with compost to give the plants the best environment to grow in for their first year. After planting, your Sarcococca hedge should be watered regularly during its first year to give it the best chance of survival and this is especially important if your hedge is being planted in the drier summer months.
How do I water my Sarcococca hedge?
It is important to water a newly planted Sarcococca hedge regularly if planting during the drier warmer months of the year. For watering, we recommend using leaky hose (sometimes described as porous pipe) which can be connected to your existing hose pipe and will slowly leak water onto the roots of your hedge in a controlled manner to ensure that it soaks in and your hedge becomes properly watered. Leaky hose is cheap, easy to install and very effective. See our Accessories page for more details on leaky hose.
Is Sarcococca tolerant of different soil types?
Sarcococca will tolerate most soil types (except very waterlogged soils) making it very versatile.
Does Sarcococca like full sun or shade?
Sarcococca is shade tolerant making it very versatile to different situations and can grow well under taller trees.
For more information on our availability of Sarcococca hedging or if you have any questions or queries about existing Sarcococca hedges or need advice about planting a new Sarcococca hedge, please call us on 01252 714552 or email sales@hedgesonline.com