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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:
Large, round, evergreen shrub; leaves large, opposite, glossy, and common cultivars green with 'splatter-paint' yellow specks: lenticels prominent.

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
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:
Google. Cultivars shown may include A.‘Variegata’ and A. ‘Crotonifolia’.

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:
Panicle
Flower Morphology:
Monoecious plant
Number Of Petals:
4
Corolla Shape:
Cruciform
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
Not showy, Dark-red
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
May, Jun

Fruit Type:
Drupe
Fruit Colour:
Red
Fruiting Time:
Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May
Additional Info:
Showy, 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 or adelgids, Mold, Root rot (Rabbit resistant, Drought tolerant)
Specific Pests:
Sooty mold may follow aphid infestation.

Course(s):
  • AARB 1012
  • Level 3 Apprenticeship
Location(s):
  • (NCA)  Not Currently Available : needed
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