Scientific Name:
Aucuba japonica
Pronunciation:
aw-KEW-buh juh-PON-ih-kuh
Common Name:
Japanese aucuba, Japanese laurel
Family Name:
Garryaceae
Plant Type:
Broadleaf evergreen
Key ID Features:
Rounded evergreen shrub 2-3m tall with prominent lenticels; leaves opposite, most blades ovate to elliptic, 10-20cm long x 5-10cm wide, entire - at least towards the base, apex half of blade commonly coarsely dentate, glossy, dark green (common cultivars green with yellow specks like splattered paint), petioles 2-4cm long; male flowers with 4 dark red to purple petals and yellow stamens, about 5-9mm wide, upright terminal clusters; female flowers axillary; drupes bright red, oval to ellipsoid, about 1.5cm long, persistent until spring (requires a male plant nearby).
Habit:
Dense, Stiffly upright
Form:
Round
Texture:
Medium - coarse
Mature Height:
2 - 3m
Mature Spread:
2 - 3m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
S.E. Asia / Japan / China (Japan)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 7: (-18 to -12 °C)
Exposure:
Part sun/part shade, Filtered shade, Deep shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Acidic, Humus rich, Well-drained
Water Use:
Low
Landscape Uses:
Accent plant, Mixed shrub border, Screening, Specimen plant, Winter interest
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Opposite
Texture/Venation:
Leathery, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Glabrous, Lustrous
Colour in Summer:
Green, Yellow
Colour in Fall:
Green, Yellow
Shapes:
Elliptic, Ovate
Apices:
Acuminate
Bases:
Obtuse
Margins:
Dentate
Additional Info:
Leaves variegated
Inflorescence Type:
Cyme, Panicle-like
Flower Morphology:
Dioecious plant
Number Of Petals:
4
Corolla Shape:
Cruciform
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
Not showy, Purple, Dark-red
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Apr, May
Fruit Type:
Drupe
Fruit Colour:
Red
Fruiting Time:
Jun, Jul
Additional Info:
Showy, Persistent, poisonous
Bark Morphology:
Multi-stem trunk
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green
Propagation:
Seed, Greenwood cuttings, Softwood cuttings, Division - below ground parts
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Aphids, Fungal leaf spot, Mold, Root rot (Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Rabbit resistant, Drought tolerant)
Specific Pests:
Sooty mold may follow aphid infestation.
