How to prune sweet box

Spring, immediately after flowering (February to March). Use sharp secateurs to trim wayward, leggy or damaged stems back to a healthy sideshoot or ground-level shoot. Remove any suckers at the base if you want to limit spread. Avoid cutting into hard old wood.

As needed (rarely). Sweet Box (Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna) is a low-maintenance shade shrub that rarely needs pruning. Its naturally arching form stays tidy without intervention. If the plant outgrows its space or develops winter-damaged stems, prune lightly in spring after the fragrant flowers have finished — typically February to March.

Use sharp secateurs to trim wayward, leggy or damaged stems back to a healthy sideshoot or ground-level shoot. Remove any suckers at the base if you want to limit spread. Avoid cutting into hard old wood.