The Festive Container Plant That Outshines Poinsettias – It's Evergreen And Smells Just Like Vanilla!

I know, I know; poinsettias are absolutely the traditional choice for festive decorating, but there's another festive container plant that deserves a place by your front door this winter.

One of those underrated beauties that deserves its time in the spotlight, this holiday plant may not have the bold and colorful bracts of a classic poinsettia, but what it lacks in showy flowers, it more than makes up for in fragrance, evergreen foliage and year-round appeal.

In fact, if you're looking for a festive container plant that keeps on giving long after the holiday decorations have come down, it could be just the thing you're looking for (and then some!).

The Fragrant Evergreen That Beats Poinsettias

Poinsettias are practically synonymous with the holidays, and little wonder; their bright red, pink or white foliage brings an instant splash of festive color. Still, there's no getting away from the fact that their appeal is largely seasonal. They're tender plants, usually grown indoors in the US, and need warmth, bright indirect light, careful watering, and lots of TLC to keep them looking their best.

Once the holidays are over and those colorful bracts begin to fade, many poinsettias end up in the compost or trash. And, while it's possible to keep them growing and even encourage them to develop their colorful bracts again the following year, doing so takes a little effort.

Enter stage left, then, the beautiful sweet box (Sarcococca).

Obviously, sweet box offers a rather different proposition, as this handsome evergreen shrub doesn't have to be replaced when Christmas is over. In fact, its glossy leaves provide structure and greenery throughout the year, while its winter flowers bring a welcome surprise just when the garden can feel at its dullest.

And it's not just about looks, either! Sweet box has a secret weapon that poinsettias simply can't compete with: its extraordinary perfume.

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That's right, folks; sweet box produces masses of creamy-white flowers in winter, often tucked discreetly beneath its glossy leaves. They might not look particularly impressive from a distance, but get close and you'll discover why this shrub is so treasured, as they release a perfume often described as a combination of vanilla and jasmine.

It's surprisingly powerful for such delicate blooms, and on a still winter day, the scent can drift through the garden and greet you as you approach your front door. Especially if you opt for a variety like the Sweet & Lo™ Sweet Box from Proven Winners.

Once flowering finishes, sweet box can produce ornamental berries, which mature from red to dark purple or black depending on the species and variety. And it does all of this while standing in partial or full shade, no less!

Although some sweet box varieties can eventually become quite substantial shrubs, its slow-growing nature also makes it a useful long-term container plant. (You won't be constantly battling to keep it in shape, for starters, although a light trim after flowering can help maintain a neat outline if needed).

Just be sure to choose a pot with drainage holes and use a good moisture-retentive potting mix. Pop it somewhere sheltered in partial or full shade, and water when the compost begins to dry – just like all container-grown plants, it will need a little more attention to watering than those growing in the ground, particularly during dry spells.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with a beautiful poinsettia, but if you'd rather invest in a plant that offers more than a few weeks of seasonal color, sweet box is well worth your time... not to mention a place in your heart. Not least of all because it's the sort of hard-working hero plant that continues to provide beauty long after the festive season has passed.

If your home and garden is full of those awkward shady spots where other plants might struggle, then, look no further! And if not? Well, still show it some love, I say – for a festive container with fragrance, character and staying power, sweet box is a very hard plant to beat.