Spring has sprung, with colorful flowers galore. Blooms stand out even more when they are seen against a solid green backdrop. Think of those fabulous English gardens, surrounded by hedges of clipped yews. Here in the south, hedges are more likely to be boxwoods, cherry laurels, Leyland cypress or arborvitae. If you need an evergreen backdrop for shady areas, look no further than Aucuba japonica.
The yellow-splotched or gold-speckled Aucuba japonica (pronounced ah-KEW-bah jah-PON-ih-kah) inspires gardeners to love it or hate it. There doesn’t seem to be a middle ground. The haters bemoan its in-your-face brightness, using words like “gaudy” or even “obnoxious.” The lovers praise its ability to brighten shady areas. I prefer the non-variegated, solid green leaf variety. In both winter and summer, it provides a polite evergreen contrast to either flowers or bare tree trunks.
For vase arrangements, the gold-flecked forms pair well with yellow Chrysanthemum or yellow Nandina berries. The solid green varieties provide a nice contrast to any red or white blooms. Cut stems have a long vase life. You might even find that they have sprouted roots while they stood in water. These rooted babies can be planted outdoors during warm weather. Aucubas are either male or female. If there is a male in the vicinity, female shrubs bear large red berries (look like giant dogwood fruits) in winter. They are hardy in zones 7-9.
Aucubas are undemanding shrubs. They ignore pollution and salty air. They prefer moist soil with plentiful moisture, but will tolerate most soil types. They will develop root rot in too wet conditions, so be stingy with the irrigation except during extended drought. Grow only in partial shade to full shade. Leaves scorch and turn black in full sun. Plants grow slowly to heights up to ten feet. Overgrown plants will withstand radical pruning, and will even branch when clipped. Such restrictive pruning should be done in late winter.
This female Aucuba holds onto a few of its berries, as the bloom buds swell prior to opening. These leaves appear to be variegated, but they are laden with pollen from neighboring plants. Ah-choo.