February's Flower of the Month

Japanese Aucuba

Aucuba japonica

For several years, a gold dust plant has grown out back underneath an oak tree. There it successfully competes with the oak roots for nutrients, and it beautifies the shady spot with bright green leaves heavily speckled with gold. This beautiful plant is rather like the little girl who had a little curl right in the middle of her forehead. If you remember, when she was good she was very, very good, and when she was bad she was horrid!

            If you can find a place where Aucuba does well, it does exceedingly well. If, however, it starts having problems, you might as well dig it up and throw it away, for it will never be the attractive addition to the landscape that you envisioned. Gold dust plant is very picky about soil and placement. In exposed locations, it is often afflicted with leaf spots and stem dieback. Foliage will burn in the sun, and overhead watering increases problems with leaf diseases. Root rot may occur if the soil is not to its liking, and it is susceptible to damage by root knot nematodes. To help control foliar problems, provide some protection for the plants during cold winter weather. Prune out any dead branches immediately. Avoid overhead watering that may cause the foliage to remain wet for long periods of time.

            Root problems may be avoided by being sure that the area is well drained and that plants are planted no deeper than the soil level in the container. Avoid places where either they or azaleas have died before. Mulch is fine, but keep it about six inches away from the main stem. Avoid excess fertilizer. Highly organic soil is the best defense against nematodes, so amend sandy soils prior to planting.

            Even with the problems associated with this plant, I am going to have it if at all possible. For floral designers, it is one of the “must-have” plants. Its beautiful foliage is attractive in designs, and it is long-lived in water. As a matter of fact, if it is left in the water long enough, it sends out roots. At this time, it may be potted up and allowed to grow for a few months. Before long it will be ready for another shady place in the garden or for the next plant sale.

            Aucuba japonica may be either male or female. Female plants form pretty but toxic scarlet berries if a male is nearby to pollinate them.  I chose Aucuba japonica ‘Variegata’, or gold dust plant for my yard. Others are Aucuba japonica ‘Crassifolia’, a male form with large, dark green leaves, and A. japonica ‘Serratifolia’, a green-leafed female form that produces heavy fruit if a male pollinator is nearby. Michael Dirr lists twenty-one varieties or cultivars in his book, Manual of Woody Landscape Plants. In my landscape, gold dust plant is grown at the rear of a shady border. Growing four to six feet tall and wide, it makes an excellent background for ferns and other shade-tolerant plants that share its space.

            Aucuba japonica is truly a plant for the Deep South, because the northern edge of its cold hardiness is USDA Zone 8. It can, however, be successfully grown as a container plant and protected from cold in more northerly places.

At a Glance

Japanese Aucuba, Gold Dust Plan, Japanese or Spotted Laurel       

Aucuba japonica

Family: Cornaceae (Dogwood)

Origin: Japan

Zones: 8 (7b)-9

Light: Shade

Water: Moderate

Height/Width: 3’-8’ x 3’-4’

Soil: Sandy loam, well-drained

Salt Tolerance: None

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This site was last updated 08/01/08