Aucuba japonica

Japanese aucuba

Garryaceae

Key Features

Container Friendly

Maintenancevery low

Overview

Aucuba japonica is a versatile broadleaf evergreen shrub that offers exceptional performance in the challenging deep shade conditions common beneath the mature conifer canopies of Pacific Northwest gardens. This sturdy, adaptable plant brings structure and vibrant foliage to locations where few other ornamental shrubs thrive, maintaining its lush appearance year-round despite minimal sunlight. The species form features glossy, dark green leaves, while popular variegated cultivars like 'Gold Dust' display distinctive yellow speckling that brightens somber corners of the garden. Female plants produce striking clusters of bright red berries in fall that persist through winter, creating dramatic contrast against the evergreen foliage during the Northwest's gray winter months. Remarkably tolerant of urban conditions, including pollution, poor soil, and root competition from trees, Aucuba has proven itself an invaluable component of regional landscapes for generations of gardeners. Its moderate growth rate, manageable size, and minimal maintenance requirements make it an excellent choice for woodland gardens, foundation plantings, and mixed shrub borders throughout western Washington and Oregon where its shade tolerance and year-round appeal solve common design challenges.

How to Identify

Aucuba japonica can be readily identified by its large, glossy, leathery, evergreen leaves arranged in opposite pairs along stout stems. Each leaf is ovate to elliptical in shape, measuring 4-8 inches long and 2-4 inches wide, with coarsely serrated margins primarily in the upper half while the lower portion remains smooth. The species form has solid dark green foliage, while the commonly available 'Gold Dust' cultivar displays distinctive yellow speckling scattered across the leaf surface. The plant's substantial size, upright habit, and year-round presence make it a distinctive landscape element. Flowers are relatively inconspicuous, appearing as small purple-brown panicles in spring, but female plants (Aucuba is dioecious) produce highly ornamental clusters of glossy red berries about 1/2 inch in diameter that persist through winter. Aucuba might be confused with some Viburnum or Skimmia species but can be distinguished by its larger, thicker leaves with distinctive coarse serrations, more substantial stems, and the characteristic branching pattern with leaves clustered primarily near stem tips. Variegated forms are sometimes mistaken for Euonymus or Elaeagnus, but Aucuba's larger leaf size, opposite arrangement, and distinctive berries on female plants provide clear differentiation upon close examination.

Appearance

Colors

Foliage Colors

green

yellow

Bloom Information

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

Full Shade

Partial Shade

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

Drainage

average

Care & Maintenance

Pruning

Maintenance Level

very low

Container Growing

✓ Suitable for container growing