Aucuba japonica
Common name:
Japanese Aucuba
Japanese Laurel
Pronunciation:
aw-KU-ba ja-PON-ik-a
Family:
Garryaceae, Aucubaceae
Genus:
Type:
Broadleaf
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon:
No
- Broadleaf evergreen shrub, 6-10 ft (2-3 m) high, densely upright-rounded to rounded, forming a thicket of arching branches, tidy and neat in appearance. Leaves opposite, simple, leathery, 8-20 cm long, 4-8 cm wide, apex acute to acuminate, base broad wedge-shaped, margin entire to coarsely dentate toward the apex, lustrous dark green above and lighter below, petiole 1.3-5 cm long. Dioecious - male and female plant. Flowers purple, male in upright terminal clusters, female flowers axillary. Fruit red, 2 cm long. Both male and female plants required for fruit production.
- Shade. Prefers well-drained, moist, high organic matter soils. Makes a choice container plant.
- Hardy to USDA Zone (6)7 Native from the Himalayas to southern Japan.
- Several selections, the most common ones are variegated, such as:
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Some of the non-variegated cultivars include:
- ‘Salicifolia’ (‘Longifolia’) - narrow willowlike, serrated leaves; female.
- ‘Nana’ - compact form, to about 3 ft, relativly erect, abundant fruit on female plants.
- Oregon State Univ. campus: behind Owen Hall, east end.
Click image to enlarge
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plant habit
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leaves and fruit
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fruiting branch
