Is it invasive

Fragrant Mountain Sweet Box

Hi there!
I live in a woodland area in Nelson county VA and want to be mindful of not planting invasive around the house that could escape to the forest. Is fragrant mountain sweet box invasive... how does it if propagate. ...do the berries contain seed that birds eat and then could spread through droppings to form saplings in the woods?

Comments for Is it invasive

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Mar 26, 2020

Not invasive?
by: Jacki Cammidge, Certified Horticulturist

Apparently, the name of this plant is not lying. There seem to be no drawbacks to it, including the fact that although there are berries, the birds clean them up and they won't make a mess of your patio. Then there's the delicious scent.

However, I am totally skeptical about the seeds not being viable. Always, when we plant something we like, it's got some kind of evil designs that we unleash onto the world.

Thank you for asking your question; most people would have just gone ahead, planted the shrub, and then wondered, five years down the road, what they were thinking. So best to be ahead of the curve on this one.

No articles seem to exist on whether this plant (Sarcocca humilis, or S. ruscifolia) is invasive. I question whether something is all good (even though the deer don't like it). Please watch carefully in planting this shrub, like all shrubs. Maybe there is a native shrub that won't have the environmental impact if it does escape.

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