Sarcococca hookeriana

{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = SarcococcaHookeriana.jpg

| image_caption =

| genus = Sarcococca

| species = hookeriana

| authority = Baill.

}}

Sarcococca hookeriana,Hilliers Manual of Trees and Shrubs, Redwood Burn, 1998{{cite book|title=RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants|year=2008|publisher=Dorling Kindersley|location=United Kingdom|isbn=978-1-4053-3296-5|pages=1136}}Sarcococca National Collection http://www.sarcococca.org.uk/ the Himalayan sweet box, is a species of flowering plant in the box family Buxaceae, native to China, Afghanistan, North East India, Bhutan and Nepal.{{efloras|2}} It is a low-growing evergreen shrub, usually growing to {{cvt|12-24|in|cm|abbr=on}} high. It produces aromatic white flowers throughout winter, followed by black berries.

Sarcococca hookeriana has several varieties of very different appearance to which different nomenclature has been applied in the references. Recent convention for example is to use Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis for the previous Sarcococca humilis, although it has broader, shiny leaves and a different habit than other forms.

This small plant is often used as groundcover in gardens. The variety Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna is more slender with narrower leaves. The cultivar ‘Purple Stem’ has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.{{cite web

| url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/65567/Sarcococca-hookeriana-var-digyna-Purple-Stem/Details

| title = RHS Plantfinder - Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna 'Purple Stem' | accessdate = 30 October 2018}}{{cite web

| url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf | title = AGM Plants - Ornamental | date = July 2017

| page = 95 | publisher = Royal Horticultural Society | accessdate = 30 October 2018}} It is fully hardy down to {{convert|-15|C|F|abbr=on}}, but requires a sheltered position in full or partial shade.