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shrub

Sweetbox

Sarcococca confusa

Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.

Sarcococca confusa is a slow-growing evergreen shrub for gardens in zones 6–9. Expect 3–5 ft of height and 3–5 ft of spread; our lists space it 3.5 ft apart. It does best in part shade to shade with average water. Expect white flowers in January to March. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the structure role: a shrub that holds the bed's shape at the back all year. Deer usually leave it alone, and it is toxic to dogs and cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in Florida and the Gulf, Texas and the South-Central states and the Desert Southwest, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.

Facts from our plant table

Botanical name
Sarcococca confusa
Plant type
Shrub, evergreen
Hardiness zones
6 to 9
Sun
Part shade (2–4 hours); Shade (under 2 hours)
Water
Medium
Soil
Likes moist, well-drained soil rich in organic matter.
Mature size
3–5 ft tall × 3–5 ft wide
Spacing
3.5 ft apart (centre to centre)
Growth rate
Slow
Bloom
Jan–Mar · white
Roles in a bed
Structure
Styles
classic, modern
Deer resistance
High: deer rarely eat it
Pets
Toxic to dogs and cats. Not on the ASPCA list; it is in the boxwood family, whose alkaloids are toxic, so marked toxic to be safe.
Native to
Not native to the US (or a garden hybrid)
Pot size and price
3-gallon pot, typically $30–$50 (sometimes stocked)
Plant in
Spring or Fall
First-year watering
Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, more in heat waves, so the root ball never dries out.
Pruning
Needs almost no pruning; remove old stems at the base after flowering.

Sources: Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Rutgers NJAES deer resistance ratings (A-D); state noxious weed lists / Invasive Plant Atlas of the US; typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box listings. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.

Guides that include this plant

Good companions

The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Sweetbox, across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.

If you can't find it

Plants that do the same job and pass the same rules for the conditions Sweetbox suits.

How this page was made

This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.

Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.

Sources

  • Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
  • ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
  • Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
  • State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
  • Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)

Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants