Shrub · Garryaceae
Japanese Laurel
Aucuba japonica
A tough, glossy evergreen that lights up deep shade where little else will grow.
Partial shade
Every 7–14 days
USDA 6–10
6–15 ft · 1.8–4.6 m
Overview
Japanese laurel is the shrub for the dark corner nothing else likes. Its large, leathery, evergreen leaves, often dusted or blotched with gold, hold their color through the year and brighten spots in full shade where most plants sulk. It grows slowly into a rounded mound and asks for almost nothing once it settles in.
The plant is dioecious, which means male and female flowers grow on separate shrubs. Only the females carry the bright red berries that ripen in fall and hang on into spring, and they need a male nearby to set them. Plant a pair, or pick a self-fertile cultivar, if the fruit is what you're after.
It earns its keep as a city plant too, shrugging off pollution, poor soil, and salt that would set back fussier shrubs. The one thing it won't forgive is wet feet, so good drainage matters more than rich ground.
Care
The short version: give it partial to full shade out of strong wind, water it while young but let established plants dry between drinks, and plant in any soil that drains well.
Light
Aucuba is a true shade plant, happy in partial to full shade where the sun barely reaches. It tolerates a little morning sun, but strong direct light scorches the leaves, and the gold-dusted forms hold their color best in deep shade.
Water
Keep a young plant evenly moist while it roots in, watering every 7 to 14 days. Once established it shrugs off dry spells, so let the top half of the soil dry before you water again. Soggy ground is the real danger, since wet roots quickly rot.
Soil
Almost any soil works as long as it drains freely, from loam to clay to sand, and it even handles poor city ground and pollution. Aim for a pH between 5.5 and 7.0 and work in some organic matter to get it off to a strong start.
Temperature
Aucuba is hardy from about 0°F to 86°F (-18°C to 30°C), which covers USDA zones 6 through 10. It takes hard winters in stride, though a screen from cold, drying wind keeps the evergreen leaves from browning.
Humidity
Ordinary outdoor humidity suits it fine, with no number to chase. Indoors it copes with average household air, and only very dry rooms invite spider mites onto the leaves.
Feeding
It's a light feeder. A single dose of balanced slow-release fertilizer in spring carries it through the season, and that's all most plants ever need.
Pruning
Prune in late winter to early spring to shape the plant, before the new growth that carries the flowers. Cut leggy stems back hard to keep a dense, rounded habit, and the shrub takes heavy pruning well.
Repotting
Container and indoor plants need a fresh, larger pot every 2 to 3 years. Roots circling the pot, water running straight through, or stalled growth with yellowing leaves all tell you it's time to move up a size.
Size & spacing
Given room, aucuba reaches 6 to 15 feet (1.8 to 4.5 m) tall and spreads 4 to 9 feet (122 to 274 cm) wide, though it grows slowly to get there. Compact forms like Nana stay far smaller, so match the plant to the space.
When to plant
Aucuba sets its own pace through the year. Plant it in spring or fall in a shaded, sheltered spot, watch for small reddish-purple flowers in March and April, and on female plants the red drupes ripen in fall and hang on into the following spring.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: Spring or fall in a shaded, wind-protected site
- Harvest: March to April (small reddish-purple flowers); red drupes ripen in fall and persist into spring
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 6–10
Temperature: down to -23°C
Troubleshooting
Aucuba is hard to kill, and most of its troubles trace back to a single cause: too much sun, too much water, or a few sap-feeding pests. Match what you see below, then fix the setting rather than the symptom.
Wilting plant with dark, mushy roots
Soggy soil leads to root rot, the one problem that kills an aucuba outright. The roots turn brown, soft, and foul-smelling instead of firm and white, and once that sets in there's no saving the plant. Improve the drainage, stop overwatering, and replant any survivors in ground that drains freely.
Fix:
- Improve drainage and stop overwatering
- Remove and discard severely affected plants
- Replant healthy specimens in well-drained soil
Sticky leaves with bumps or cottony specks on the stems
That sticky film and black sooty mold point to sap feeders. Scale show up as small armored bumps, mealybugs as white cottony masses, and on indoor plants spider mites leave fine webbing under the leaves. Wipe or prune off light infestations, treat the rest with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap, and give houseplants better air movement.
Fix:
- Wipe off or prune lightly infested parts
- Treat with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap
- Improve air circulation for indoor plants
Leaves scorched black on the sun-facing side
This is sun and wind burn, not a disease. Aucuba is built for shade, so direct sun blackens young leaves while the shaded interior stays green, and cold or hot dry wind does the same along exposed edges. Move the plant to a shadier, sheltered spot and trim off the worst of the damaged leaves.
Fix:
- Relocate or transplant to a shadier, wind-protected location
- Provide afternoon shade in hot climates
- Remove badly damaged leaves
Toxicity
Aucuba is mildly toxic, not deadly. The berries and leaves hold a compound called aucubin that causes nausea and vomiting if eaten, though the foliage is safe to touch and won't irritate the skin. Keep the fruit and leaves out of reach of pets, livestock, and small children.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Mild
A cat that chews the leaves or berries usually drools and then vomits. The upset settles on its own, but call a vet if it keeps up.
Dogs Mild
Expect vomiting and loose stool if a dog eats the foliage or fruit. Most cases stay mild and pass within a day.
Horses Mild
The aucubin in the leaves can leave a horse off its feed with a queasy, unsettled stomach. Keep them out of reach of garden clippings.
Rabbits Mild
Rabbits get the same stomach upset from the leaves and berries, and their small size means it takes very little. Don't offer any part of the plant.
Livestock Mild
Grazing animals such as goats, sheep, and cattle may show drooling and a sour stomach after a mouthful. Fence the shrub off from pasture.
Birds Caution
Wild birds eat the ripe red drupes and spread the seed without harm. Pet birds are a different story, so keep cage-bound species away from the leaves to be safe.
People Caution
No part of the plant is eaten, and the berries and leaves can bring on nausea and vomiting if swallowed. Handling the foliage is fine and won't irritate the skin, but keep the fruit away from small children.
Foliage does not cause contact dermatitis and is safe to touch; keep berries and leaves away from pets and small children.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
Most aucuba sold for the garden is grown for its foliage, and a few named forms stand out. These are the ones worth knowing.
Variegata (Gold Dust)
Its glossy dark green leaves are heavily speckled with yellow, and the dusting shows brightest in full shade.
Picturata
Each leaf carries a bold golden-yellow center ringed by a green, yellow-flecked margin.
Nana
This slow dwarf form tops out around 3 feet by 3 feet, making it the one to reach for in a tight spot.
Rozannie
A compact, self-fertile cultivar that sets red berries on its own, with no separate male plant needed.
How to propagate
Aucuba is easy to multiply, though you'll want to keep track of which plants are male and which are female if you want berries down the line.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Summer to early fall (semi-hardwood cuttings) · 6 to 10 weeks to root
Cuttings are the surest way to copy a plant you like. Take semi-hardwood cuttings from summer into early fall and they root over the next 6 to 10 weeks. Because the plant is dioecious, label your male and female cuttings as you go, so you keep a male on hand to pollinate the females for berries.
SeedModerate
Sow ripe seed in fall · Several weeks to germinate; slow to reach size
Sow ripe seed in fall and the seedlings come up over several weeks, then take their time reaching any size. The catch is that seedlings are variable and you can't tell male from female until they first flower.
LayeringEasy
Spring to summer · Several months to root
Layering is the slow, hands-off option. From spring through summer, peg a low branch down into the soil and leave it, and it puts out its own roots over the next several months before you sever it from the parent.
Myths
Aucuba is deadly poisonous and should never be grown near a home.
Its toxicity is low. Swallowing the berries or leaves brings on nausea and vomiting that pass on their own, and the foliage is safe to handle with bare hands. Keep the fruit away from pets and young children and the plant earns its place in a shady bed.
Any single Aucuba shrub will set a crop of red berries.
Aucuba is dioecious, meaning male and female flowers grow on separate plants. A female only fruits with a male nearby to pollinate it, so plant both, or choose a self-fertile cultivar like Rozannie that fruits alone.