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Christmas Box

Sarcococca orientalis

Christmas Box
Photo: Denis.prévôt, CC BY-SA 3.0
Family
Buxaceae (Bux family)
Grows as
Shrub
Native range
SE. China
Climate
temperate

About

Sarcococca orientalis is a species in the genus Sarcococca in the plant family Buxaceae. It is commonly known as Christmas box or sweet box. It is native to Jiangxi province of south-east China, and forms a small evergreen shrub, preferring positions with some shade. The ovate-lanceolate leaves are cuneate at the base and can reach 9 cm in length. The leaves are longer than the leaves of the commonly cultivated S.confusa and broader than S. hookeriana. The pink-tinged white flowers are inconspicuous but sweetly scented, and appear along the branches in midwinter, their scent most noticeable during mild spells. The small fruits (drupes) are black.

Other Sarcococca plants

Sweet Box · Himalayan Sweet Box · Sweet Box · Willow Leaf Sweet Box · Sarcococca zeylanica · Christmas Box

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Sarcococca orientalis by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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