''Sarcococca confusa'', the sweet box, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Buxaceae, probably

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

to western China. It is an

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

growing to tall by broad, with glossy green ovate leaves and honey-scented white flowers in winter, followed by glossy black spherical fruits, 5 mm in diameter. It is a very adaptable and reliable shrub that is easily grown in many situations, including dense shade with very dry soil. It will however grow in full sun, even though the foliage appears to bleach a little. The soil should be kept damp if grown in sun or part shade. The shrub is midwinter flowering with a sweet scent. The small black berries are eaten by birds which disperse the seeds. The genus Sarcococca is widely distributed in southeast Asia from Afghanistan through the Himalaya to SE Tibet, Assam, Upper Burma and China, southwards in peninsula India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indochina, to Java and Sumatra, Taiwan and Luzon. This plant has gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

Description

Sarcococca confusa is a very adaptable and reliable shrub that is easily grown in many situations, including dense shade with very dry soil. It will however grow in full sun, even though the from=Q3473542 confusa Flora of China Plants described in 1949