Aucuba japonica 'Variegata' (Gold dust plant, Aucuba)

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Plant description

Aucuba japonica 'Variegata' is an evergreen, bushy shrub to around 2 metres tall, with attractive glossy green leaves heavily spotted with gold. It has small purple flowers in spring, followed by bright red berries if there is a male plant nearby, but it is mostly grown as a foliage plant. It will do well under trees, and it can be readily pruned to size and shape, making it a useful landscaping plant. It is an easy care plant, and is troubled by few pests or diseases generally, unless the plant is stressed. Scale and mealy bugs can be controlled with white oil spray. It also is a great container plant, and can be grown indoors in bright light.

It prefers a part shaded position, and will also tolerate a spot in fulll shade. It likes moist, well drained soil, and can take frost. Fertilise regularly with a liquid fertiliser, or in spring with a slow release fertiliser. It can be pruned hard to rejuvenate the plant. 

Propagation is by cuttings, either soft tips or semi hardwood.

Ingestion can cause mild stomach upset.

Further reading: Hedges and Pruning a hedge in 7 steps (articles written by horticulturalist Angus Stewart).

Additional plant information

Flowers

Flower colour: purple
Flowering season: spring

Plant size

Maximum height: 2.5 metres
Minimum height: 1.5 metres

Maximum width: 2.5 metres
Minimum width: 1.5 metres

Sunlight, frost & salt tolerance

Will tolerate partial sunlight.
Medium frost tolerance.
Plant is not salt tolerant.

Fauna attracting?

Not specified.

Climate

This plant species will grow in the following climates: cool, temperate, subtropical, tropical.

Soil types & conditions

Loam: moist, well-drained.

Clay: moist, well-drained.

Sand: moist, well-drained.

Soil pH: 5.5-6.5

Diseases

Root rot if overwatered

Pests

Scale, mealy bug, mites

Miscellaneous information

Planting season: not specified.

Types of fertiliser: General purpose fertiliser. A high nitrogen fertiliser will boost foliage growth.

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