What: Although the flowers of Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna “Purple Stem” are not conspicuous, they have an impressively sweet scent in wintertime. The dark green, semi-glossy evergreen foliage is attractive year-round, and the stems on this selection are a lovely purplish color.
Where: “Purple Stem” sweet box grows best in open to deep shade. It prefers a rich moist to well-drained soil, but will tolerate sandy locations and clay if the drainage is adequate.
Size: This flowering shrub grows to be 5 feet tall and 5 feet wide when mature.
Care: Once established, “Purple Stem” is drought tolerant, but appreciates occasional watering during long, dry spells. It is slow to become established, often taking a couple of years to settle in. Little pruning is needed other than the occasional removal of dead or broken branches. In severe and sudden cold snaps it can defoliate, but it will leaf out in spring.
— Richie Steffen, Great Plant Picks
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